


Scooping Up the Field Mice & Bopping Them on the Head

by candicame



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Abuse, F/M, Little Bunny Rinku AU, M/M, Multi, Rape, dubcon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-02-13 22:39:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 38
Words: 146,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12994041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/candicame/pseuds/candicame
Summary: Little bunny Link is just coming to terms with his new place in the world when tragedy strikes!  There's been a murder, and the only witness is victim's bunny.  Can Link navigate his new world?  Can he convince his owner, Sidon, to take in and rehabilitate this new bunny?This is the unofficial official sequel to: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12214278/chapters/27741540 by MissGillet.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MissGillette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissGillette/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Little Bunny Rinku](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12214278) by [MissGillette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissGillette/pseuds/MissGillette). 



> Ok so I know I'm supposed to be working on my Hyrule Warriors AU: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12888573/chapters/29443284 , but I've been absolutely addicted to MissGillet's fics. She's a genius, and I highly recommend all of them. I've asked her to read every chapter before I post it to make sure that my fic is a good continuation of hers and stays respectful to her AU and the characters she created within it. I hope you guys like it!
> 
> As always, I take tips: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

The remote was clumsy in his hands as Link tried to remember which buttons did what.  Sidon had handed it to him after he had answered the phone, and hadn’t given him any instruction other than, “Pick one out for us, darling”, then stood and walked away, leaving Link alone and confused on the couch.

Link used to watch TV, a lifetime ago when he had lived with his old owner- whose name he was pretty sure began with a Z.  In his head, when he thought about her at all, she looked a little like Hilda, but with lighter skin and hair, which made him think that she probably didn’t look like that at all, and he was projecting something he knew onto an image of the past that was now so clouded by nostalgia it may as well have never existed.  If she was real, he knew that she had been young, and all the things that they used to watch had been about young people.  But Link hadn’t really seen or interacted with any children in so long that he couldn’t exactly remember what they did or why they were different from adults.  

He had been with Sidon for so long now.  Bunnies were bad at keeping track of time, so he wasn’t sure how long, exactly, but everything about him felt right, felt familiar.  It was all so different from the fuzzy memories he had of the past, but he didn’t want to dwell on the past- he wanted to forget it- not to forget the little girl who had been so kind to him, but everything that came after that.

Link used to be a bad bunny.  He didn’t remember the first bad thing he had done, the thing that had caused the little girl to lose him.  He blamed her parents, though he could not remember why.  They were the ones that had taken him to the shelter, to the bad place, where everything was loud and crowded, where the food was bland and scarce, where people constantly tried to touch him, where he was filled with a rage and angst that was exacerbated by everything around him.  He had been there for so long- an inconceivably long time.  All the people had given up on him, because he was a bad bunny.  He had bitten the people who touched him, fought off the other bunnies in his enclosure who tried to interact with him, refused the food his caregivers gave him, and finally taken to spending all his time in a little bed, which he had dragged to the corner, hating the whole world and everything in it.

Until the day Sidon had come.  Beautiful, kind Sidon who had seen past all the badness in Link and taken him from that awful place to his home, who had given Link his own room and filled it with all sorts of toys, clothes and books for him, who had been so patient and caring and coaxed him back into comfort.  

Link had been scared for a long time that he could never love Sidon.  Link was a toy bunny, born and bred to be a companion for children.  Bunnies were made for wealthy children, with parents who could afford engineered creatures who were almost, but not quite human, who provided companionship on sprawling estates until the precious human children were shipped off to boarding schools.  They were advertised to be perfect, docile playmates, perfect for socialization, but Link had no way of knowing what he was, no way of knowing that children grew older, that any relationship he had was meant to be temporary.  He had been made as a companion, made to love with his whole heart and soul, and all he had ever wanted was somewhere to place that love that would last.

Sidon had promised Link that he would own him forever.  He had made Link say it, over and over, until the lingering doubt, the fear that he would ever have to go back to the awful shelter, was chipped away from his mind.  Sidon told him that he was a good bunny, that all those people who had known him before had been wrong about him, that everything about him, especially his body, was good exactly how it was.

Link had been scared, for a long time, that Sidon was wrong.  He had been told so many times before that so many things about him were bad, that trying to believe Sidon made his heart heavy, weighed him down like a physical thing that sat on his shoulders and in his stomach.  But Sidon had worked with him, had told him over and over, that he was good, that he was loved, that everything he was doing was right- it took some time, but eventually, Link began to believe it.

Now Link was a cuddle bunny, and he thought that was probably the best kind, because they got to be loved by the same owner, forever.  If a cuddle bunny was good, they would stay in the same place, with the same person, their entire lives.  Link had thought this was true for toy bunnies as well, when he was young and knew very little, but he knew better now.  He knew that both he and his best friend, Ravio, had been toy bunnies once, and they had both been discarded like the old toys they were when they had been outgrown.  But that was in the past, in the bad place, when he had been a bad bunny, and everything was different now!  Now he was a good bunny, and Sidon loved him, and he would be here forever!  He would never go back to the shelter.

He figured out that the arrows on the remote made the little red box on the screen move to the next thumbnail and smiled at himself.  Sidon said that he was smart, but Link thought that Ravio was smarter.  Ravio played video games with his owner, Hilda.  Link thought he might like to learn how to do that, because Ravio said it was fun, but not as much fun as the things that they already did together, so he wasn’t particularly worried about it.

The things he watched with Sidon weren’t like the things he watched with the little girl.  The actors were all older, and some of them were bunnies!  Sidon had made a special channel on his television just for Link, and when he turned it on it had a little icon of a bunny, so he would know which one to pick even if he couldn’t read.  Which he could, because he was, as Sidon bragged, very smart for a bunny.  Most of the movies had names that told what they were about, and Link scrolled through them as he tried not to eavesdrop on Sidon’s conversation, but it was difficult, because he loved Sidon and was always interested in him, and because he had exceptionally good hearing.

Link clicked on the category called ‘anal’ and the screen filled with different pictures as he tried not to focus on what Sidon was saying.

“That’s horrible,” Sidon said, and Link told himself not to be rude.  If Sidon wanted him to know, he would tell him.

Link flicked through the titles and couldn’t find anything he thought looked particularly interesting.  He liked the plot more than the sex, but most movies seemed to be almost exclusively sex scenes.  And if things went too far, he was afraid it would give Sidon ideas.  He thought this because of a description he saw under one of the movies that said ‘double penetration’, and the image sent a shiver up his spine.

Sometimes, to be good, Link had to do things that made him hurt or sore for a few days, and it was his least favorite thing about being a good bunny.  He couldn’t tell his owner ‘no’, because that would be stupid, mean, and ungrateful after everything Sidon had done for him.  He knew Sidon would never really hurt him, but sometimes he got scared, and messed up.  Sidon was never really mean to him, but Link didn’t like disappointing him.  Sometimes, Link would see something, and he would think, “It might be better if Sidon just doesn’t see this.”

He didn’t like to think like that.  He knew it was wrong for a bunny to try to control a person like that.  Perhaps there was some ‘bad’ left in him after all.

“How did it happen?” Sidon asked the phone as Link clicked the ‘BDSM’ category.

This one looked better.  All the movies had stories to them, which was Link’s favorite part, and he read over the descriptions and tried very hard not to eavesdrop.

“Of course.  You know Link loves him.  I can keep him anytime.  I’m only sorry it’s for such a sad occasion.” Sidon said as if the person on the phone had said something ridiculous.

Link was confused by this, because he didn’t love anyone but Sidon.  He hated to think that Sidon may be wrong about something, but Sidon himself had told him, over and over, that Link  _ should  _ love only Sidon.

“Don’t be ridiculous.  It’s no trouble.  If I knew them, it would be different, but I’m not overly fond of funerals anyway.” Sidon said.

Link didn’t know what a funeral was, and chided himself, because he realized both his ears were upright at attention.  He lowered them quickly, and was glad for it, because Sidon looked over to him almost as soon as he did.  Link smiled at him, then turned his attention back to the screen.  He picked out one of the movies that looked better than the rest- it was about a bunny who had been saved from a shelter just like him!  But he was a good bunny who hadn’t done any of the bad things Link had.  He had been taken there because his owner had abandoned him.  But the description said that he would get a new master, and a new life, and he could be happy.  Bunnies could only really be happy if they had someone to take care of them.

“Tell the Dragmires that they have my sincerest regrets,” Sidon said in a tone that made Link think something bad had happened, “And take all the time you need.  You know Ravio will be safe and happy here.”

Ravio!  Ravio was coming to his house!  Sidon had been right, Link did love Ravio- not as much as he loved Sidon, but in the way that best friends loved each other.  He felt more at ease around Ravio than anyone else in the world, and that was a feat, because Link was a nervous bunny.  He had a hard time interacting with anyone, and would normally cling to Sidon in social situations and bury his face in his chest.  But Ravio was so nice, even if he was loud, that Link was getting used to him, and he thought that if he tried really hard, he might be able to even talk to him one day.

“Well, maybe not happy without you, but as close as he can get,” Sidon admitted.  “Either way, bring him on.”  He held the phone with his shoulder so he could open the bottle of wine he had chilled for movie night, and caught Link’s smiling face.

“Link and I were going to watch a movie,” Sidon told the person on the phone, who Link thought was his friend Hilda, “we’re settling in for the night.  Do they know who did it?”

His eyes widened in shock, and Link knew that Sidon knew he was eavesdropping.  He was being too obvious, but Sidon was so close now, so there was no hiding it.  He hoped he wouldn’t be angry.  But he wanted to know what was happening with Ravio!  Sidon seemed sad.

“That’s terrible!” Sidon said, and poured two glasses, one more full than the other.

Link didn’t really like wine, but he liked how it made him feel.  Toy bunnies were small, and one glass made all of him warm and floaty, made the world a little numb around the edges.  He didn’t drink it before Sidon saved him, but Sidon knew all sorts of things that made him feel good, even if he didn’t like them at first.

“No wonder he’s so distraught,” Sidon agreed, and Link stared up at him with his ears turned down and a frown on his face.

“Yes, at once!” Sidon agreed again, and Link wondered what was going on.

“Alright,” he said after a pause, “tell them to let me know if there’s anything I can do.  Give them my condolences.  We’ll see you when you get here.”

“Is Ravio ok?” Link asked, as soon as Sidon had hung up the phone.

“Darling,” Sidon chastised, “It is rude to eavesdrop when people are talking.”  He caught the way Link’s shoulders slumped and his little body deflated, and continued, “But don’t be upset.  Ravio is fine.  Hilda has a friend named Yuga, whom you have never met, but who I have thought very seriously about hiring to paint a portrait.  He’s an artist.  Unfortunately, his grandfather passed away, and Hilda is going to accompany him to the funeral.  It’s being held in Lorule, so she will be gone for some time, and because it is such a somber affair, and Ravio is…  not known for his tact or discretion, she has decided that he will stay with us while she is away.”

“Ravio is going to stay with us?” Link asked, perking back up, “All night?”

“Maybe for a few nights, if she is delayed.  This is not the sort of occasion one brings a bunny to.” Sidon explained as he sat next to Link on the sofa and handed him one of the glasses, a little less full than the other.  He had carefully observed Link at varying degrees of inebriation, and drawn certain conclusions about how much alcohol he should be allowed, for which Link was grateful.  “Drink that slowly, darling.”

“Is he coming tonight?” Link asked.

“Yes, when Hilda finishes her traveling preparations.” Sidon answered, turning his eyes to the screen, and hummed in approval at the movie Link had selected.

“But it’s so late,” Link thought aloud, still sitting on his knees so that he was almost, but not quite, as tall as Sidon was sitting down.

“I know, darling,” Sidon sighed as if he thought Link was saddened instead of perplexed, “It’s our time alone together.  But it can’t be helped.  And he’s bound to be distraught when he arrives.  Would you want to be without me for days on end?”

“No!” Link cried and threw his arms around Sidon’s neck.

“Careful!” Sidon grabbed the glass in Link’s hand and jerked it away before it spilled.  

Link realized his mistake, but decided not to say anything about it, and to climb into Sidon’s lap instead.  He wanted to be closer, wanted Sidon to assure him that he would never leave him overnight, and suddenly understood that Ravio wouldn’t come as a fun playmate.  He would be pouting, probably crying, and he wouldn’t get to see Hilda the whole time he was with them!  The whole playtime would be tainted.

Link made up his mind to be extra nice to him.  He would try his best to keep his mind off Hilda’s absence, and make him understand that he wasn’t being abandoned again.  She would be back for him!  She just went to the ‘funeral’ where bunnies weren’t allowed to go.  Link wanted to make sure he was never alone the whole time he was with them.  He was going to drag him to bed with them and sleep beside him at nighttime.  It was easier to feel safe at night with Sidon there, and Link was normally so tired after going to bed with Sidon that it was easy to forget everything and go to sleep.  He was going to make sure Ravio had fun, even if he was scared and sad!

“Link,” Sidon said in a way that forced Link to lean back and look up, to take in his kind expression, “I would never willingly leave you.  Know that.  But sometimes things come up.  I hope nothing like this ever happens for us, but if I ever have to leave you alone, for any amount of time, please know that I will come back.”

Link nodded and cuddled into his owner’s chest.

“Thank you, Sidon,” he said, “I love you.”

“I love  _ you _ , pretty bunny,” Sidon assured him, and handed Link back his glass so he could cup his face with the hand it freed, gazing down at him with kind eyes.  He kissed the top of Link’s head, where his hair settled between his ears, and when he met his eyes again, there was something there that always made Link the tiniest bit uneasy.  But, that unease would go away when he drank his wine.

 

* * *

 

Link loved the time he spent with Sidon where they could just be alone and cuddle.  He craved it more than he craved food.  He loved being curled up on Sidon’s lap, with his head tucked under Sidon’s chin, and his back pressed as flush to Sidon’s chest as he could get it.  Sidon seemed content as well, with his free hand splayed out over Link’s stomach, playing with the fabric of his shirt, and the one holding the glass resting lightly in Link’s lap.

Link had trained his body not to shove his thighs together when he got like this.  It drew Sidon’s attention, and Link didn’t want to move.  He knew that if Sidon knew about his erection, he would try to take care of it, because when Link had been new to having an adult owner, he had thought that the tension in his body, the tightness in his gut, the stretch and exposure of his dick- had been pain.  He had told Sidon it hurt, and Sidon had believed him, and now, if he noticed it, he would rile Link up, and it would turn into…

Something.

There were so many things it could turn into.

So Link tried to control his breathing, tried not to squirm, tried not to give himself away- but he regretted the movie he had picked.  He didn’t regret it because he didn’t like it, he was actually really interested and enjoying it- even the sexy parts!  That was a rare treat for Link.  Everything he had seen was something that he would genuinely enjoy, but that was a double edged sword, because he didn’t want to have sex right now, he wanted to be sweet, and gentle, and cuddle, snuggled up on the couch in his master’s arms, just soaking up his love.

Sidon got-

_ Link got _ weird during sex sometimes.  He saw things that weren’t there in Sidon, felt pain that wasn’t real, cried and complained over nothing until he upset his master, because he was still a bad bunny, and sex made him realize it.  He wanted to be good so badly, wanted to love Sidon with all of himself, but there was something wrong with him.  He didn’t know what it was, and he didn’t know how to fight it.

“You’re more beautiful than that bunny,” Sidon said proudly, on his second glass of wine and slurring just a little, “You’re so pretty, Link.  You could easily be in this kind of movie, but you wouldn’t.  Do you know why?”

“I couldn’t,” Link said sadly, “I would…  get scared.  There are too many people…  I don’t want to…  to…” he trailed off and grasped at the hand Sidon still had splayed over his chest.

“Don’t want what, darling?” Sidon prodded.

“I just want you, Sidon.” Link explained, “I love you.  I just want to be here.”

“You’re such a good bunny, Link,” Sidon praised, kissed the top of his head, then leaned them both forward to set his glass on the coffee table.  “I love you so much, you know that?”

Link nodded and leaned back when Sidon sat upright, trying to snuggle as far into his chest as he could.  Both of Sidon’s hands were on his thighs, gently rubbing up and down.  He left them in the places where his thighs met his torso and let out an annoyed huff.

“I wish I would hear something from Hilda,” he admitted, “I know that you’re getting fidgety, but if there’s going to be a stranger in the house I’d rather not be caught in a compromising position.”

He didn’t mean to be fidgety!  He had tried to stay as still as he could.

To make it up to Sidon, he leaned as far back as he could, and pecked little kisses along his jawline.  Sidon loved kissing him, but he preferred passionate, smothering things that held promises of something else to the light, friendly kisses Link liked, so he sank his teeth into Sidon’s neck, and  bit, not hard enough to bruise, but the way he knew he liked it, and Sidon’s hands shot from his thighs to his hips.

Sidon let out a happy hum, and squeezed in a way that tickled Link’s sides, prompting him to giggle in time with the twinkling of the bell on his collar.

“Tell me, darling,” Sidon asked with a pleased sort of quiet as he stroked up and down Link’s sides, “what made you decide on this movie, in particular?”

Link found it even more difficult to answer questions when Sidon was touching him than he normally did, but he was making an effort to speak more.  Sidon said that he liked the sound of his soft, sweet voice, and seemed genuinely interested in his responses.  So he thought for some time before he answered.

“It seems interesting.  The Badsams seem like they have more story than other movies?” It was a question.  He didn’t know enough about the film industry to know if he was right about that.

“The what?” Sidon asked, looking down at him and smiling in a way that Link knew he thought he had done something silly.

“The story?” Link answered, eyebrows knitted in confusion.

“No, darling,” Sidon laughed, “What kind of movie is this?  What category did you select it from?”

“Um…  Badsam?” Link felt a blush creeping into his face, because he knew he was doing something foolish.

“Are you sure it wasn’t ‘BDSM’?” Sidon asked.

“Oh,” Link’s ears deflated as he processed what he had been told.  He had wondered why there weren’t any of the special letters, vowels in the word.  He put it together quickly that if that were the case again, he should just say the letters.  

“BDSM,” he said quickly, to amend his mistake and make Sidon proud that he had learned something.

“Perfect, darling,” Sidon was proud, as Link had hoped he would be, “That is…  interesting.  I like to know your tastes.”  He moved his hands to Link’s waist and squeezed so hard it took his breath away, so hard it hurt, and Link gasped at the sensation.  His dick twitched and became even more obvious, and like Sidon had told him, he didn’t question why, just remembered what had caused it for later.  That was a good thing, a natural thing, and didn’t make him bad.  They were all wrong about that.  All the other people were wrong, and Link was a good bunny.

Sidon chuckled, moved one arm to engulf Link’s waist in place of his hands, and pulled him flush with his chest while the other moved slowly down.  Link spread his legs to give him better access, and Sidon felt his tail thumping in the place where it was trapped between them.  When Sidon’s hand wrapped around Link’s dick, still trapped in his little shorts, Link threw back his head and moaned.

He loved the way Sidon made him feel, and all the other humans were wrong- it didn’t make him a bad bunny.  Good bunnies liked what their owners did to them!  They made them happy!  He didn’t know why he got so confused, and he wanted Sidon to reassure him, to love him, to touch him more, so he tried to angle his body to kiss him, but their positions and size made it impossible, so he squirmed in Sidon’s arms until the man chuckled.

“I know, darling, I know,” he purred, “But I don’t want you to be indecent in case Hilda brings her friend.  It would make a bad first impression, don’t you think?”

Link shook his head as hard as he could.  He wanted to love Sidon, to be good for Sidon!  He didn’t care what some stranger thought.  Sidon had been the one to tell him that the other people were wrong, that his desires were  _ good. _

“Kiss me?” Link begged.

“Anything for you, my beautiful bunny,” Sidon agreed instantly, and slid Link off his lap and onto the couch beside him.  Link sprang to his knees and reached out for him; Sidon had tied back his hair into a messy ‘man bun’, and Link lamented the loss, and pulled him closer by the shoulders instead.  He moved so easily now, exactly where Sidon wanted him, turning his head perfectly, tilting his head just so, opening his mouth just wide enough to accommodate Sidon’s tongue and sucking gently to welcome it inside.

He liked having Sidon inside of him.

He liked the firm hands on his hips guiding him down, the pressure of Sidon’s body pressing against his until he was lying on his back, and even more until he thought he might smother under Sidon’s lust, drown in it.  He wriggled to get his legs situated on the couch, get them apart, even as Sidon pulled back to breath and watched him with eager, predatory eyes that awakened the instinct of a prey animal to fight or flee.  Link did neither, he had ignored so many reflexes that he was good at pretending they no longer existed, and instead spread his legs wide and hooked them together at the ankles behind Sidon’s back.

“I love you, Sidon,” he said to the predator, and wondered whether or not it would eat him with a sort of detached curiosity that held a memory of fear.

“I know you do, my perfect pet.  But I love to hear it.  Say it again.” Sidon demanded and ground down against him in a way that sent sparks through Link’s body like real electricity, and his muscles seized as if he had been shocked, arching off the couch and sending his arms flailing out above his head.

“I love you!” He said again, and squeezed his legs to emphasize his point.

“You’re beautiful,” Sidon told him as he leaned forward with a hand firmly planted on either side of Link’s face, “such a good bunny, so good for me, perfect for me.  My love, my beautiful bunny.”

“Yours,” Link agreed, closed his eyes and snuggled into his wrist, and with a little shake in his voice asked, pleading, “Forever?  You’ll keep me forever?”

“Forever,” Sidon promised, and leaned down until there was no space between them, and Link opened his mouth to welcome him, moved with him as Sidon rocked their bodies together.  

He would be Sidon’s forever and ever until they were both old; he would never go back to the shelter, he would be here, safe and warm and taken care of, and loved by the man who had saved him.  He wrapped his arms around Sidon’s shoulders so tightly he was afraid he might be hurting him, but he couldn’t really think about it with the electricity shooting from his dick through his body, with the tension winding and winding in his gut, with Sidon’s big, safe body on top of and around him, forming a protective shield, and his tongue inside him, still inside him-

Link whined as Sidon pulled away, and clung desperately to him.  He hadn’t heard the servant knock, and didn’t want it to be happening even as it was.  He would rather deny reality and made his desire clear with the way he continued to move even as Sidon smiled down at him, didn’t stop until Sidon spread a huge palm out on his chest and ‘tut tut’ed at him.

“Yes?” Sidon asked with perfect composure.

“You have guests, sir,” The voice from behind the door told them.

“I’ll meet them in the sitting room,” Sidon announced happily, “please have some tea set out?  It’s,” his eyes flicked to the window and widened in alarm, “Oh dear, it’s snowing out there.”

“Very good, sir,” the voice said, and it was gone.

Sidon stood and pulled his clothes into a mockery of respectability, then frowned down at Link, who still lay sprawled on the couch.

“Darling, I’m so sorry,” Sidon gently smoothed back his hair, then pulled him to his feet so he could adjust the cute little outfit Link had dressed himself in, rearranging his shorts, tucking his shirt back in, “I know it hurts, but we really must be mindful of our guests.  Do you understand.”

Link tried to steady his breathing.  He understood.  He knew Ravio would be upset, and the last thing he needed was Link pawing at him.  He needed to control himself, needed to be good.  He knew what Sidon had meant now about getting ‘riled up’ and ‘making a bad impression’.  He nodded and ran a hand through his hair to try to get it to lay back down from where it had been fluffed up by their tussle.

“There’s my good boy,” Sidon said with approval, and leaned in to gently kiss his forehead.  “Let’s go be good hosts, alright?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ravio arrives for his visit and things heat up quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I would update on Tuesdays but I just couldn't wait. I've gotten really attached to this story and I'm excited about it! There's sex in this chapter, so be warned.
> 
> I wanna thank MissGillet, again, for letting me use her Au and for reading this chapter to give me feedback! You're an amazing writer, and I love your work!
> 
> As always, tips are welcome here: https://ko-fi.com/takocos
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Ravio held his suitcase tightly in both hands and stared at Hilda with pleading eyes as she watched Yuga pace the foyer and speak into his phone.  They could see him, though he had excused himself from the sitting room to speak privately, and hear him when his voice rose to make some point about which he seemed particularly passionate.  Ravio didn’t know who he was on the phone with, but he seemed to be angry at whoever it was.

He wasn’t going to beg his owner not to leave him.  He had done that at the house, and it had done no good.  She had explained to him, over and over, why he couldn’t go, and he understood her, on an intellectual level, but he was in a denial bred of sheer disbelief.  He had helped her pack his things, but kept insisting that he was going with her, not to stay with Sidon, and she had grown more and more annoyed, had tried to explain to him that her friend was going through a very trying time and he was making it even more difficult, and had eventually decided that the only way to deal with Ravio’s nonsense was to drug him.

So now everything was a little disconnected.  The medicine was supposed to make bunnies easier to transport, and it had, but he couldn’t take it all the time, and he knew, under the pleasant buzzing, that it would wear off and he would be left without her.

“I’m not crying,” He said to Link as soon as he entered the room, and clutched his suitcase harder.

Link understood why he had said that, even though no one had said he was crying.

“Ravio,” Hilda said in exasperation.

“I’ll miss you,” he said sadly, and let Link hug him without returning the gesture.

“Are you sure you want to travel through the night?” Sidon asked as he motioned for Hilda to take a seat, “It’s snowing.  The visibility must be poor in the darkness.”

“Yuga wants to get there as fast as he can,” Hilda explained and sat in a plush lounge chair, “Ravio, sweety, come here.  Don’t cry.”

Ravio walked over to her and snuggled into her lap while Link thought about how cold he had been to the touch.  Little drops of water were forming in his hair from the melting snow, and his puffy coat felt like ice to hug.

Hilda kissed his forehead while he clung to her, his suitcase forgotten by her chair.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I’ll be good.  I’ll miss you.  I love you!”

“Link, darling,” Sidon seemed annoyed at Ravio’s theatrics, “why don’t you take Ravio to your bathroom and draw him a warm bath?  He must be frozen.”

“Yes,” Hilda agreed, “that sounds like a good idea.  We can’t stay long.  Ravio, sweety, look at me,” she cradled his head in both hands and forced him to meet her eyes, “I will be home again, alright?  I’m not leaving you.  And when I call, I will talk to you, to check up on you.  Sidon is going to keep you safe and happy while I’m away, and I will come back for you.  You’re my special bunny.  I love you.  I will be back.”

“I know!” Ravio pleaded, and Link could see that he was trying so hard to be good, “I’m not trying to cry or throw a tantrum.  I’m sorry.  I love you!  I’ll miss you!”

Link stood awkwardly waiting, and in order to have something to do with his hands, he tried to pick up the suitcase, but Sidon stopped him.

“Leave it, darling, the servants will take it to your room,” he promised, and Link nodded.

“Now go take a nice hot bath and play with Link,” Hilda said, and kissed Ravio on the lips, “I’ll see you when I get back.”

Ravio nodded and tried his best not to cry.  He was tired from the sedatives, and didn’t have the strength to openly sob, but a few soft tears fell from his eyes.  She brushed them aside with her thumbs and gently helped him to his feet.  He turned to Link, rubbed his eyes on one puffy sleeve, and tried to fake a smile.

Link held out his hand, and Ravio took it.  Link smiled at Hilda as he moved to hug Ravio again, then released him to give her a hug as well.  She squeezed him and petted the soft fur of the back of his head.

“Take good care of him for me, Link,” she said, and Link felt very responsible.  He had all sorts of things planned!  He was going to be extra nice to Ravio, to keep him distracted and happy!  He nodded solemnly, to show her that he understood the importance of his position, and took Ravio’s hand again to tug him away.

Ravio followed with great reluctance, but Link knew that it was for his own good to get him out of the room, understood why Sidon had told him to take him away.  Ravio didn’t need to see her leave.  If he watched her leave, it would hurt him too badly, it would kill him to see her walk out the door and leave him, and then Sidon and Link wouldn’t be able to console him.  It would be bad for Ravio, but it would be bad for them, too, because he would be much more difficult to look after.

“Goodbye, Mr Yuga!” Ravio said to the man in the hall, who was hanging up his phone with a look of ire.

His expression softened, and he plastered on a fake smile when he saw them.  He was wearing a long, flowing coat, and he tucked his phone into it before he answered them.

“Goodbye, Ravio.  I hate that I’ve upset you so.  You’re such a cute little thing.  I really appreciate you being so brave while Hilda comes to help me.”

Link scoffed, then chided himself.  He hadn’t meant to make any noise that would reveal how he felt- and he felt that Ravio wasn’t being brave at all, that Ravio was rarely brave.  Ravio was his best friend, but that didn’t mean Link couldn’t see his flaws.  The bunny was materialistic and cowardly.  It was even easier to see them with the alcohol flowing through his veins.  But there was being right and there was being nice, and it was much more important, right now, to be nice than it was to be right.

Yuga gently petted Ravio, scratching him just behind the ears, then did the same to Link.  Link didn’t really like it when people who he didn’t know touched him, but the man seemed so upset that it broke his little heart, and if his soft fur would give any comfort, he would offer it.  He wondered why everyone was so sad.

When Yuga walked away to meet up with the other humans in the sitting room, Link tugged again, and Ravio followed him up the stairs.  Link had forgotten how difficult it was to climb stairs after he had been drinking- normally Sidon carried him up to bed- and Ravio was so tired he had to cling to the banister, so Link fought to keep himself upright, to keep the staircase from spinning around, because if the steps went anywhere other than below him, he would fall.  He had done it before.

“Are you ok?” Ravio asked.

Link giggled, nodded, and hopped up to peck his friend on the lips, hoping he would taste the wine.  Ravio obviously did taste it, because he ran his tongue over his lips, and accused, “You’re drunk!”

Link nodded, smiled at him, and tugged him again.

“I wish I was drunk,” Ravio lamented, “I’m trying really hard to be brave, Link.  I really am.”

Link nodded and squeezed his hand.  He knew that Ravio was trying his best.

“You’re my best friend,” Ravio told him, “Sidon is good to me, but I’m glad you’re here, too.  Hillie gave me some medicine so I wouldn’t be as sad, but it won’t last forever.”

Link stopped walking to kiss his cheek, then tugged him up the few remaining stairs.

He led him into the bathroom in the hall, the one Sidon called ‘his’ bathroom, even though he didn’t really ever bathe in it.  He always took his baths together with Sidon in the tub that connected to Sidon’s bedroom, where he normally slept.  Sidon would normally carry him back to the giant, fluffy bed afterwards, wrapped in a warm towel, and Link would doze while Sidon dressed, then fall asleep in his warm embrace.

Ravio looked like he might fall asleep any minute, so Link blinked a few times until the bathroom decided to sit still and let him walk around in it, then went over to the tub and turned on the hot water, so it would be nice and warm by the time he got Ravio ready.  Ravio watched him, leaning against the wall and tugging off the mittens he had worn, then rubbed the palms of his hands against his eyes.

Link wanted to talk to him.  He knew he could do it.  He had been practicing.  Ravio had to know that she wasn’t leaving him, that she would come back!  He had to understand that.  But Ravio’s pain was too real to him.  Link knew that he had been abandoned before, Ravio had told him all about it.  Ravio used to be a toy bunny, but the child who owned him had ‘gotten curious’ and the parents had taken Ravio away.  At the time, Link hadn’t known what Ravio meant when he told him the story, but he did now.

Link pushed himself upright using the side of the tub, and walked over to unzip Ravio’s coat and help slide it off of him.  Ravio let him, and then made little hopping motions until Link backed up enough to let him pull off his boots.  Link thought he looked cute, hopping in place, but he was really too sleepy to do it right, so Link grabbed the boot by the bottom to pull it off.  It took them a little while to get Ravio out of his clothes, and his skin under them was so cold it startled Link.

He pointed to the tub- there was steam coming from the water now- and Ravio climbed into it and watched as Link picked up the clothes to take them to the hamper in his room.

“No, Link!” he begged with one hand outstretched, “Don’t leave me.  Come in with me.”

Link took one look at those giant, pleading eyes and dumped the clothes in his arms to the floor so he could pull his own shirt over his head.  He didn’t have the erection anymore- Ravio’s sorrow had beaten it out of him- so he didn’t feel any shame about tugging his shorts down and off as well.  Ravio had seen him naked plenty of times, and they were both bunnies.  He actually felt more comfortable in the nude around Ravio than he did around Sidon-

But he shouldn’t think like that.  That didn’t make any sense.

He climbed in with him, turned the water from a waterfall to a trickle so that the tub would fill gradually instead of burning them, and put the stopper down.  The hot water slowly began to make a puddle, and he tossed a washcloth in it, soaked it up, and unfolded it to lay it across Ravio’s frozen chest.

“Thanks,” Ravio sighed, and squirmed until he was lying with his face pressed to the porcelain.  That left very little room for Link- Ravio had curled around him and left him with only the space he occupied on his knees, and caused the washcloth Link had warmed to fall.  He picked up the cloth and threw it back to the tap as he watched the water pool up around Ravio.

“Lay with me,” Ravio begged him, and Link motioned to the tub to indicate that there was no way he could do that.  There wasn’t enough room.

Ravio sat up a little and tried to direct Link by the hips, and Link let him, until Ravio was lying on his back, and Link was lying more or less on his side on top of him.  Link huffed again and shoved Ravio so that he was sitting up at least a little bit, so that when they had enough water he wouldn’t drown.  Link didn’t trust him not to fall asleep and go underwater.  He had done that before, and scared himself to death.  Bunnies couldn’t breath underwater.

When they were situated properly, he snuggled into Ravio’s chest and his friend threw an arm around his shoulders.  His fingers were even colder than his chest had been, but the steam from the room was quickly heating them.  Link felt the warmth come back into his torso, and the thigh he was lying on, and felt like he was doing a good job.  He was being a good host to their guest.

When Link sat up to turn off the water Ravio pulled the curtain closed to block the light.

“I know Hillie won’t leave me,” he said, more to himself than to Link, “She said I was her special bunny, that I would stay with her forever.  I don’t know why I can’t go to the funeral.”

Link knew.  Sidon had told him that funerals were quiet, and Ravio was the opposite of quiet.  He was loud and didn’t read social cues well.  He would hug anyone- had scared Link the first time he met him by being too forward, but Link had eventually learned that that was just how Ravio was.  It wasn’t bad, it was just…  a lot.  And funerals were places where you couldn’t act like Ravio.

Instead of explaining, he pushed his friend back into the water and climbed on top of him.  He cradled Ravio’s cheeks in either hand and smooshed them, to let him know Link thought he was cute, then rubbed their noses together.  He wanted Ravio to giggle at the teasing, to smile and hold him like they often did at Ravio’s house in his playroom together, but he didn’t.

“I’m sorry,” he said instead, “I know I’m being mean.”

_ Not mean _ , Link thought,  _ just difficult _ .

“I don’t think Yuga is as nice as he seems,” Ravio huffed, “He’s the one taking Hillie away.”

Link rolled his eyes.  Ravio didn’t like anyone who was nice to Hilda, he even chastised Link and tried to order him around, tried to tell him that he couldn’t touch her.  But Link knew that Ravio had no power over him, and he really thought he needed to get over his jealousy.  Link didn’t mind it when Ravio touched Sidon.  He actually liked to watch them together.  Ravio was better at things like people kisses and sex than he was; he had more experience and, Link thought, a natural knack that he just didn’t have himself.  

He had never told Sidon that he thought Ravio was better at those things.  He thought that Sidon would disagree, and he didn’t want to say something that might upset him.  Sidon seemed to enjoy Link more, or at least to say things, to do things, that made Link think he did.  He never moaned Ravio’s name the way he did Link’s.

Link shook his head to show his disagreement, then scooted down to lay it on Ravio’s chest, over his heart.  Ravio rested one hand between his shoulder blades, and ran the other up and down one of Link’s ears.  Bunnies would only let their owners or their closest friends touch their ears, so Link knew that Ravio wasn’t mad at him for calling him out on his jealousy.

“It’s cold outside,” Ravio said after some time had passed, “I’m so tired.”

Link nuzzled into his chest.  He was actually getting tired too.  He felt warm from the inside out, and the hot water and Ravio’s warm body weren’t waking him up any.  Ravio seemed much more relaxed now, and Link thought he should try again to talk to him, now, while they were both as comfortable as they were going to get.

“If you fall asleep,” Link said to Ravio’s chest, “Don’t go underwater.”

“You can talk!?” Ravio said excitedly, would have shouted if he had had the energy, and Link nodded into his chest.  “Is it a secret?” Link nodded again.  “Ok!  I won’t tell anyone!”

Link’s eyes shot open as Ravio wrapped both arms around him and squeezed as hard as he could.

“Thank you!” He exclaimed, and Link smiled.  He wrapped his arms under Ravio’s and squeezed his shoulders, as close as he could get to a hug in their position.

Ravio’s grip slowly relaxed, and Link fell asleep to the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

 

* * *

 

“Link!”

Link’s eyes snapped open to see Sidon draining the water, and his golden eyes were on fire when he met his gaze.

“Ravio!” Sidon said in the same stern voice, and gently shook the bunny by the shoulders until he opened his eyes.

“Wha?” Ravio asked in his sleepy stupor, but his body tensed when he saw the anger in Sidon’s eyes.  

Sidon was on his knees with both hands on the side of the tub, and the curtain had been pulled back to reveal the harsh light of the bathroom.

“Do not ever,” Sidon said through gritted teeth, like a man trying and failing to control his temper, “fall asleep in water without supervision!  Darling, don’t you understand that you could have drowned?  You could have died like poor Mr Dragmire?”

He pulled Link roughly up by one arm and held him, eyes roaming up and down his body, as Ravio pushed himself up on his elbows and watched with a terrified expression.

“You seem to be alright,” Sidon said after a few long seconds ticked by, and Link remembered to breath, “But do not scare me like that!”

Link nodded frantically.

“We’re really sorry, Sidon,” Ravio pleaded, “I was sleepy because of the medicine, and Link was drunk.”

“And you thought this was the best place to sleep?” Sidon asked him, still holding Link.

“I don’t think we thought about it,” Ravio explained, “We just fell asleep.  We should have got out and went to bed.”

“But you’re both alright?” Sidon asked, and both bunnies nodded.  He released Link to stand and get towels, “Don’t scare me like that.  Did you even wash yourselves?  Link, only the edges of your hair are wet.”

Link couldn’t meet Sidon’s eyes when he shook his head.

Sidon’s sigh was so full of disappointment that it tore at his little heart.

“Link, you were supposed to watch Ravio, and you almost let him drown.  But I’m not angry with you.  I’m disappointed.  I told you to drink that wine slowly, and you drank all of it before our guests even got here.  I told you to watch over Ravio and you didn’t.  And now I understand that I asked too much of you.  I shouldn’t have asked you to do anything without me.  This is my mistake, understand?”

Link frantically shook his head.  It wasn’t Sidon’s fault that he couldn’t do anything, that he had decided to get in the bath with Ravio and cuddle instead of washing him and putting him to bed!  Link knew what he should have done, and he had been the one to do something different.  He knew how to be good.  He had been in the process of taking Ravio’s clothes away, so he could do what he knew he should, when he made bad decisions.  None of that was Sidon’s fault.  He didn’t make a mistake trusting him!  Link could be good, he could follow directions!  He knew he could.  He wanted to so badly.  He didn’t understand how he kept messing up.

“Darling, don’t cry,” Sidon shushed him impatiently and draped a towel around his shoulders, and Link struggled to obey him.  He wrapped himself as tightly as he could and dabbed his eyes on the towel, then looked up to see Sidon wrapping another around Ravio.

“You two can take a real bath in the morning,” Sidon told them, “right now, just get up and come to bed.  Can you do that?”

Link nodded and stood, and Sidon helped him over the side of the tub.

“Sorry, Sidon,” Ravio said quietly as Sidon helped him as well, “I know you just want us to be safe.”

“That’s right,” Sidon said as he led them down the hall, “and I suppose I have learned that I need to watch you better.”

Link knew that he was allowed to get the outfit Sidon was wearing dirty.  It was something that he considered ‘house clothes’ and not one of his ‘good’ outfits, so Link caught up to him and leaned his little wet head on him as they walked.

“I’m sorry, Sidon,” he said almost too low to catch.

“I know you are, darling.  I told you I’m not angry,” Sidon said in a tone that implied the opposite.

There was a fireplace in Sidon’s bedroom, and it was blazing when they walked in.  It was the only light, and it cast warm, flickering colors around the room that made Link feel safer than the artificial overhead light.

“Do you boys want to make up for scaring me so badly?” Sidon asked, and Link knew he couldn’t say no, but he was amazed that Ravio remained quiet as well.  Ravio was usually eager to play Sidon’s games.

“Link, you disobeyed me twice,” Sidon reminded him, “I think you deserve a spanking, at the very least.”

Link solemnly nodded his head.  That was more than fair.

“Ravio, you are a guest, and you’re falling asleep where you stand.  Go to bed.” Sidon ordered, pointing to the large bed in the room, “We’ll be there shortly, won’t we, Link?”

Link nodded again, grabbed Ravio’s arm through the towel, and pulled him in to kiss his cheek.

“Give him a proper good night kiss,” Sidon tutted, “after what you’ve put him through.”

Link nodded and let his towel slip to cup Ravio’s face.  He still looked upset, and Ravio loved people kisses.  Sidon was right; Link felt Ravio’s tension melt away as he deepened the kiss and reached out to hold Link by the hips.  He only pulled away when he felt he might run out of air, and Ravio gave him one more quick peck on the lips before he let him go entirely.

“I’ll be right there,” Ravio whispered, and his eyes flicked to the bed.

Link nodded and gave his friend a soft smile- and one more quick kiss for good measure.

Ravio would actually have a good view of what was going to happen.  The little sitting area by the fireplace were perfectly visible from the bed.

Sidon sat as close as he could to the edge of the chair, and Link swallowed before he moved closer, ran the towel over his hair one last time, and handed it to Sidon.  He bent over Sidon’s lap without instruction, facing the fire and away from the bed so that he he wouldn’t have to look at Ravio while it happened.  At least this time Sidon hadn’t opened the chest.  That meant he would just be using his hand.

“You understand why I have to do this, darling, don’t you?” Sidon asked him.

Link nodded.

“Why?” Sidon asked him.

“Because I didn’t take care of Ravio,” Link answered.

“And because you didn’t take care of yourself,” Sidon reminded him, “I want you to be safe, Link.  I need you to make decisions that aren’t dangerous.  I love you.  I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

Link nodded.

“Do you understand?” Sidon asked him.

“Yes,” there were already tears pooling from Link’s eyes, “I’m sorry, Sidon.  I love you, I promise I’ll do better.”

“Good,” Sidon used to towel to make absolutely sure Link was dry, fluffing up the fur around his tail and noting how long it was getting.  Link really needed a shave and a haircut.  “Prove to me that you can do better next time, alright.”

Link nodded, and Sidon tossed the towel to the floor.

The first smack rocked him forward, and he flailed for something to hold onto, to brace himself, but his fingertips barely grazed the floor, and Sidon was sitting too far out for him to reach the arm of the chair without twisting his body.  He folded his arms back to clutch at Sidon’s thighs instead.  Sidon let out an annoyed huff, grabbed Link by the scruff of the neck, and pulled him forward so he could brace himself on the carpet.  This put his ass even higher in the air, and the second smack connected low enough to give Link a moment of panic because he thought Sidon might graze his balls.

But Sidon was more controlled than that, and Link knew better in his heart of hearts, so he braced himself and tried to remember that this was a  _ punishment _ .  His mind knew that Sidon was doing this to teach him a lesson, the pain would help him remember, the next time he did something stupid to put himself in danger, he would remember the pain, and he wouldn’t do it.  He knew that, in his mind- but his body had never drawn the right connections, and he blushed and turned his head down when he felt the familiar heat pooling in his gut.

The force of Sidon’s blows sent him rocking forward to the tune of the contact of skin on skin, and the twinkling of the bell on Link’s collar.  Link had meant to be silent, but he was already disappointed in himself, and the shame he felt as his little dick swelled to full size was more than he could contain.  He moaned as the next bolt of hot pain shot through him and the force sent his erection into Sidon’s thigh.

The music that had filled the room stopped as Sidon let out a disappointed sigh.

“I don’t know how to punish you,” he said after the silence had robbed Link of his ability to breath.  Link felt the blood pounding in his long ears as Sidon slid a hand between his legs and squeezed the erection Link had hoped he wouldn’t notice.

“You’re insatiable,” Sidon accused, and Link whinned.  “If you enjoy it, you’ll think you’re being rewarded.”

“I’m sorry,” Link whispered, “I didn’t…  I don’t…”

“Shss,” Sidon whispered, running a hand over Link’s sore ass in a caress so gentle it made Link jump, “you’re a good boy, Link, overall.  This is not a bad thing, my beautiful pet.  I just want you to remember not to drown yourself, and this,” he reached down to squeeze Link’s erection again, “means that you’re having fun.”  He chuckled, and Link willed his arms not to go out.

“I’ll remember,” Link told him, “I promise.  I don’t want to make you sad.  I want to be a good bunny.  I love you, Sidon!”

The silence dragged on as Sidon lazily fondled him as if he wasn’t really paying attention, as if his mind was somewhere else, and Link was a toy he was using to occupy his hands while he thought.

Finally he asked, in a voice that was thick with meaning, “Do you want me to continue?”

Link’s dick jumped in his hand, and he knew the answer before the bunny spoke.

“I want to be good,” Link said.  “I don’t…  I don’t know why I…”

“Finish your sentences,” Sidon demanded.

“Like it,” Link finished, and spoke quietly, with tears running down his cheeks as he continued, “I don’t know why I like it.”

“You don’t need to know why, my precious pet,” Sidon reached down to gently pet the back of his head, “but you need to tell me.  You need to tell me  _ everything  _ you like.  Do you understand?”

Link nodded.

“Link.” Sidon said in a voice like ice, and his fingers dug into the hair he had been petting.

“Yes, Sidon!” Link told him, “I understand.”

“You’re a good bunny,” Sidon said in the same voice.

“I’m a good bunny,” Link repeated, and added, “I’m your good bunny.  I love you.”

He was rewarded with a firm slap that, combined with the grip on his hair, made his head swim.  Sidon pulled him up like that and held him so that Link lost his grip on the floor and scrambled to grab the wrist of the hand in his hair, grounding himself to Sidon.  Sidon loved him.  Sidon would take care of him.  Sidon would never hurt him.  

His ass was raw and red by the time Sidon decided he had had enough, and when he released the deathgrip on his head, Link fell, scrambled, and caught himself on the carpet.  He was so hard it hurt, he couldn’t catch his breath fast enough, there were stars in his vision and the thoughts had been beaten from his head.

“Please, Sidon,” he begged, “Please.”

“Be patient,” Sidon shushed as he admired the pretty shade of red Link’s ass had turned.  He laid one hand on the small of his back and set the other on the marks he had made- Link whined and twisted in his grip, and he shushed him again.  It was hot to the touch, and his gentle caress was driving Link mad.

“Please,” Link begged again, and tried his best to hold still and let Sidon do whatever he wanted- but his head was filled with desire, and he knew he was giving in to selfishness by begging, but he couldn’t stop.

“What do you want, darling?” Sidon asked him as if he was curious, as if he genuinely didn’t know.

“I want you, Sidon!” Link pleaded, “Please!”

“What do you want from me?” Sidon asked, and Link knew that if he blushed anymore, he would pass out.

He steeled himself, pooled all his courage, and said, “I want you to f…  fuck me.”

“Do you think you deserve that?” Sidon asked him.

Link deflated.  He was crying again.  He knew he didn’t.  He didn’t deserve any affection.  He had done everything wrong tonight, disobeyed Sidon, neglected Ravio, neglected himself, and even messed up his punishment.  A good bunny never lies.  He wouldn’t lie to Sidon.

He shook his head.

“Answer me.” Sidon demanded.

“No,” Link admitted in defeat, “I don’t deserve it.”

“No,” Sidon sighed sadly, “You really don’t.  Come here.” He scooted back in the chair and pulled Link into his lap.  Link let him guide him, and was thankful to be allowed to straddle Sidon’s lap on his spread knees instead of sitting on his sore ass.  He wanted to bury his face in Sidon’s chest, but his master held him by the chin, studying his face, the way Link wouldn’t meet his eyes, and the tears that trickled down his cheeks.  He used his other hand to knead the burning flesh he had created, and silence dragged on between them while Link tried not to openly sob.

“You want to be a good bunny, don’t you, Link?” Sidon asked him.

Link wanted to be good for Sidon so badly.  He wanted to love Sidon and be loved in return more than he could ever remember wanting anything in his life.  He didn’t understand why he was so bad at it.  It should be easy.  Sidon never gave him anything difficult to do, but he still messed up.  He nodded.

“Answer me,” Sidon demanded.

“I want to be a good bunny,” Link flicked his eyes up to meet Sidon’s stern gaze, “I want to be good for you, to be your good bunny.”

“Why?” Sidon asked, and Link knew the answer; it sprang to mind so quickly it didn’t  _ feel  _ like an answer, it just felt right, like an emotion instead of a conversation.

“Because I love you.”

Sidon studied his face and the sincerity in his eyes, then slid his hand from his chin to cup the back of his head.  When he pulled Link close to kiss him, Link moved in time with him perfectly, his body went through the practiced motions, and he felt the love radiating through the kiss in a way that made the lead in his stomach settle a little, made safety seem obvious again.  Sidon felt his little tail thumping against his forearm before he pried Link away.

“You don’t deserve it,” Sidon explained patiently, “but I know you can’t stand to go without, my little bunny.  So out of the goodness of my heart, because I love you, I’m going to take care of you.”

Link shook his head, and his ears had drooped so low they flopped with the motion, “I…  I can’t let you…  I’ve been so bad…”

“You can make amends,” Sidon promised him, and stood.  Link scrambled to wrap his arms and legs around Sidon so he wouldn’t fall, and hissed when Sidon caught him by his sore ass.  His cock seemed to enjoy that, and he felt betrayed by it.  It was that thing, that part of him, that always seemed to get him confused.

Sidon carried him to the bed where Ravio had also betrayed him and fallen asleep, so when Sidon sat him down, he tried to stay as still as he could so he wouldn’t wake him while Sidon hummed as he searched for the lube.  It was a happy sort of song, and it made Link think that Sidon wasn’t upset after all.  He had said over and over that he wasn’t angry, and Link wasn’t sure why he hadn’t believed him.  He was just worried, just wanted what was best for Link and Ravio.  Link often thought Sidon was angry when he wasn’t, and he didn’t understand why.  He wanted to be better, to read him better, to love him better.

“On your hands and knees for me, darling,” Sidon guided him, then seemed to come up with an idea and chuckled.  “Shss.  Be very quiet,” he warned as he positioned Link on his hands and knees above Ravio’s sleeping form.

“There is no better way to wake up,” Sidon told him, “than with attention from a beautiful bunny.”

Link thought that they should let Ravio sleep, because he had had such a trying day, but he also remembered Ravio’s jealous attitude and knew that he would probably be upset if he found out that they had had sex right next to him and hadn’t included him at all.  He was conflicted about what he should do, so he did nothing.

Until he felt Sidon’s slick finger tracing his entrance, and knew he needed to brace himself.  Then he spread his legs to give Sidon better access, and leaned on his elbows over Ravio, who he believed was still feeling the effects of the drugs or he would have woken up by now.  Link, on the other hand, was sure that his buzz was as dead as poor Mr Dragmire.

Sidon prepped him quickly, more quickly than Link would have liked, and he wanted to beg him to be gentle, but knew he didn’t deserve any niceties.  It was already more than Sidon had to do, more than he deserved, so he held back tears and wished he had a pillow or something to bite.

When Sidon pushed all the way inside him in one go, it shoved him forward into Ravio’s chest, but it was Link shouting into it that really woke him up.  He wrapped an arm around Link out of instinct, and kissed the top of his head before he figured out what was happening.

“You’re too far down, darling,” Sidon laughed and picked Link up easily with one hand on his chest to scoot them both until Link hovered over Ravio.  “You need to make him understand how much you regret almost letting him drown.”

Link nodded.  That was a good idea.  He could pour all his regret into physical affection- Ravio loved it, and Link wanted him to feel happy and safe.  Ravio nuzzled their faces together and gently ran his hands up and down Link’s ears.

“It was both of our faults,” he whispered to Link as if they were sharing a secret, “you don’t have to make anything up to me.  But…  we can still play all you want.”

Link silenced him with a deep kiss.  Ravio was the only person other than Sidon he had ever people kissed, and they fit together as if they had been made for it.  Ravio had already been relaxed, but he stretched out under Link, held him by the shoulders, and pulled their bodies flush.  Link moaned as he felt Ravio’s erection press against his, and thought about the time so long ago that Ravio had accidentally done something very similar, the first time they met, and Link had freaked out on him.  He was embarrassed about it now- he had been so stupid, had made Ravio worry about him for no reason, had caused a scene so big that Sidon had taken him home.  But he knew better now, and he would make it up to him.

He whined when Sidon pulled him up using the hand still on his chest.

“Shss,” Sidon reminded him, “You’re being good, don’t whine.  I’m going to help you.”

Link nodded as Ravio excitedly held out his hands.  He could see something Link could not, Sidon offering the lube.  He took it, poured a good amount in the palm of his hand, then closed the bottle and gave it back to Sidon.

“Thank you!” he said happily, rubbing his hands together, then began to slick himself up.  

Sidon lightly bounced Link on his dick as he watched, and when he felt Ravio had had enough time to prepare, he lowered Link back down.  Link tried to lay on top of Ravio again, but Ravio slid a hand between them, and gripped both their dicks.  Link arched an eyebrow at him, but then Sidon began to move, and he understood.

He moaned in Ravio’s ear as Sidon rocked them together.

“Mm,” Sidon hummed in approval, “I knew I would get my good boy back.”  He grabbed Link by the hair and directed his face back to Ravio, “Kiss and make up.”

Link knew he and Ravio weren’t fighting, but he kissed him anyway.  

Sidon towered over both of them with his arms on either side of Ravio’s head, closing them in.  Link was squished between them, and every thrust of Sidon’s sent him rutting against Ravio.  Everything below the waist hurt, but as be felt Ravio’s tongue pressing against his palate, the pain made less and less sense.  It didn’t fade away, it contorted, changed, until he wasn’t sure which sensations were bad and which were good.  Sidon was rough with him, plowing into him with his whole body weight, and the bed protested loudly as the force of it sent the headboard slamming into the wall.  It was a big, metal thing, so moving it wasn’t easy, and Link was thankful that Ravio was there to ground him, because he had hurt himself before by slamming his head into it.

He really needed a helmet.

He pulled away to breath and take in the sheer glee on Ravio’s face.  It looked a lot better than the melancholy he had been afflicted with since his arrival.  After a few breaths, Link decided to bite his neck too, because Sidon liked it, and Sidon sometimes did it to him during sex.  Ravio threw his head to the side to give Link better access, and his body arched up to meet them with so much force it bucked Link back against Sidon.

“Good job, Link,” Sidon growled, “I think he liked that.  Good boy.”

Link pulled back before he broke the skin and realized a bruise was forming.  He kissed it gently, and Ravio dug his free hand into Sidon’s shoulder.

“Can I cum?” Ravio begged, “Please, Sidon, it feels so good…”

Sidon hummed and kissed the back of Link’s neck, then leaned into him even harder, shoving his face into the mattress to kiss Ravio on the forehead.

“Cum together for me,” Sidon ordered as he sat up on his knees and shoved Link forward by the hips.  He smacked his raw ass hard enough to rattle his whole body and demanded, “ _ Now _ !”

Link screamed when he came.  Ravio had tried to swallow it in a kiss, but neither of them were coordinated enough, and Link wound up shoving Ravio’s face into his shoulder when he lashed out and wrapped his arms around him.  Ravio had opened his mouth to moan, and when he found it full of Link’s flesh, he acted out of instinct and bit down.  Link didn’t realize that they would both have bruises, because there was a sparkle of light in his vision, and a rush of wind in his ears, and absolutely no thoughts in his head.

He came down slowly, in a series of awarenesses of pain.  His sensitive dick was still trapped between them, still pressed against Ravio’s, and both of them were squirming to get to a more comfortable position, but it was impossible, because the pain in his throat was Sidon’s hand shoving him down by the back of the neck.  The pain in his back was Ravio, desperately trying to escape because, as Link knew, the sensation was too much, and he left claw marks down his back.  The pain in his backside was more Sidon’s torso slamming into the raw flesh there over and over, and less the hylian-sized cock that was still stretching him too wide with too little preparation.  He was used to that, had grown accustomed to it.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for Sidon to slam into him, harder than before, deeper than before, and go still as he hissed through his teeth, “This is what you wanted, wasn’t it, Link?”

“Yes,” Link told him, because he knew Sidon would demand an answer, wouldn’t pull out until he gave him one, and also because it  _ was _ what he had asked for, what he had wanted.  It came out quiet, muffled, and rough, because Sidon still had a hand around his throat, and speaking was just as difficult physically as it had always been emotionally.

When Sidon took his hand away, Link inhaled too quickly and began to cough, so he sat up a little and tried to cough into his inner arm instead of Ravio’s face while Sidon held him by the hips.

“Do you feel better?” Sidon asked him when he had calmed down.

“Yes,” Link said again, quieter this time, “Thank you, Sidon.  I love you.”

Ravio let out a happy hum and agreed, “Thank you, Sidon!  Can I go next?”

“Not tonight,” Sidon smiled, and Link gasped as he pulled out in the same single-motion way he had gone in, “You two need to sleep.”

Link rolled off Ravio and clenched as tightly as he could.  Sidon liked him to keep all the cum inside he could for as long as he could- but keeping it there forever was impossible.  He was just scared that if he let it leak before Sidon had fallen asleep, he would scoop it up and push it back in; he did that sometimes, and now that Link was coming down from his high, he didn’t feel like being teased for half the night.

“You two made a mess,” Sidon smiled as he said it, and held out the towel Ravio had taken to bed as if he was going to help them, but threw it to the foot of the bed instead and continued, “clean it up.”

Link didn’t make his displeasure known in any way as he leaned over Ravio to lap the cum off his stomach.  He didn’t like the taste yet, though Sidon had told him he would eventually, and it was even worse once it got cold.  But he managed to get it all down, even quickly licked up and down his dick for good measure.  When he leaned back to let Ravio lick him clean, which he did at a much slower, more lazy pace, he caught Sidon’s hungry smile.

He looked happy.  Link smiled back.  Maybe he had made up for all the bad things he did, ‘atoned’ like Sidon had said.  Ravio surprised Link by darting up to kiss him, and Link should have been expecting the taste, but he wasn’t, and whimpered into the kiss.  Sidon laughed at how cute they were, and walked off into the bathroom to clean himself up.  Link darted for the towel, finally relaxed his muscles, and used it to wipe everything that leaked out of him.

Ravio giggled at the sight, and Link smiled at him.

“I like your voice,” Ravio said, and Link blushed, then shrugged, before Ravio continued, “But it’s not really fair.  He fucks you every night!  I’m the guest!”

Link rolled his eyes and pinched Ravio’s cheek, then booped his nose.

Sidon returned with a warm washcloth and a glass of water, now in pajamas.  He hummed as he handed the water to Ravio and began to wipe Link down.  Ravio drank it happily and passed it to Link, and Link was thankful for how it soothed his sore throat.  He had screamed himself hoarse.  He would get that under control one day.

“You two,” Sidon told them as he knee-walked to clean Ravio, “are criminally cute.  Taking you together is  _ divine _ .”

He kissed Ravio on the forehead and Link on the lips, took the empty glass, and headed back to the bathroom.  He refilled it, in case either of them would need it during the night, and set it on his nightstand, then went through all the normal Hylian bedtime motions, plugging in his phone, checking for messages, etc, while Link and Ravio snuggled up together, facing each other.  Ravio kept planting friendly, quick kisses all over Link’s face and giggling, and Link found it annoying but didn’t have the energy to get mad, so he squished Ravio’s cheeks and held him still to rub their noses again, trying to get him calm and sleepy again.  Link was sleepy.

He was thankful when Sidon laid down behind him, chest flush to Link’s back, and reached out an arm to hold them both.  He drifted off to sleep between his best friend and the man who had promised to love him forever.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adorable bunny playdate!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas!
> 
> I wanna thank Miss G, again, for letting me use her AU and reading through these chapters to make sure I stay in-line with her! Little note on that subject: The way I had bunnies in my head is slightly different from the way she saw them. I went full furry, but they're supposed to be more like nekos. So for the grooming scene, we decided it still works, but instead of full-fur, think more like human body hair. I didn't want to rewrite the whole thing, so just think like... humans do still have SOME hair so it does still kinda make sense. And it's not super important to the story, so if it bothers you, you can really skip it and the story will make perfect sense without it.
> 
> As always, tips are appreciated: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Link smiled and waved at Sidon where he sat inside by the fire reading something on his tablet.  Sidon smiled and waved back, then blew Link a kiss that made his little heart flutter ‘pitter pat’.  Link had moved his mitten to his lips to blow a kiss back at him, when something smashed into the back of his head hard enough to make him stumble.

“I got you!” Ravio cackled, “Pay attention!”

Link huffed and shook his head to clear away the snow that lingered there.  He pulled the knit cap down further and dusted off his back to make sure no snow had gone under his coat, then bent down and scooped a pile of the fluffy stuff, compacted it in his hands, turned, and threw as hard as he could.

It hit Ravio full in the face.

“No fair!” Ravio huffed and his ears shot up in anger, “I’m gonna get you!”

Link giggled and dropped to his knees as Ravio’s next attempt went flying over his head.  Ravio snarled and took off running through the garden, and Link scrambled to his feet and went sprinting after him.  He wasn’t used to wearing snowboots, and as he plowed into a particularly high drift, the unfamiliar heels tripped him up, and he went tottering, first forward, then backwards.   _ Please don’t fall backwards, please don’t fall backwards _ .  He knew he was going to fall and tried to put his arms out to steady himself, but he caught only air and went down, landing hard on his back and knocking the wind out of himself.

He looked up to see Ravio’s smiling face, grabbed a handful of snow, and threw it straight up.  Ravio screamed far more dramatically than he needed to, flailed, and performed an obvious pratfall to land on his back about a foot away.  Link giggled and hopped to his feet, then watched as Ravio spread out his arms and legs in the snow, shoving it out of his way.  He stood, and the outline looked like a person with wings.

“That’s a snow angel!” Ravio told him, and took his hand to lead him back to the little yard area where Sidon could watch over them.  “Let’s build a fort!”

Link was excited about that idea.  Rabbits loved to burrow and build, and bunnies were the same way.  When he had lived with the little girl, he remembered making all kinds of burros, out of blankets and pillows, or by taking apart the couches that littered her estate.  They had put up a little tent in the backyard, once, he was pretty sure, but that was in the summertime.  He had never made a snow fort!

Ravio apparently had, though, because he knew exactly what to do, and he and Link rolled around the snow to compact it down, laughing and stomping until they were out of breath.  Then Ravio taught him how to smush it together until it was compact enough to make walls.  They worked diligently for hours, the fight forgotten, until Link found himself standing under the roof while Ravio hopped in place to compress the last bit of the fluff.  Link heard him hop down, and then his voice carried from outside.

“Ok!  Let go and see if it falls in on you!  If it does, I’ll dig you out!”

Link let go, and the roof stayed put.

Ravio crawled in through the little entrance, which they had made with Sidon in mind, in case he wanted to come inside for any reason, so it was a little wider than it needed to be, and stood.

“It’s good!” He exclaimed, “Now we have a club house, until it melts!”

Link nodded.  He was proud of their little fort too.  Ravio reached up to smoosh his cheeks with his snowy mittens, and rubbed their noses together, and Link gave him a quick peck on his cold lips.

“Ravio!” Sidon called, and both the bunnies scampered out.  Sidon had thrown on a long overcoat and his own snowboots to join them outside, and held a phone outstretched in one gloved hand.  “Hillie wants to check on you.”

Ravio took the phone excitedly and instantly exclaimed, “Hillie!  I miss you so much!  I love you!”

Link smiled at the way his face lit up, and ran to hug Sidon.  Sidon squeezed him back, and held him like that while Link snuggled into the warmth of his chest.

“Are you frozen, my little snow bunny?” Sidon asked him while Ravio prattled on into the phone behind them, “How do you feel?”

Link didn’t understand that Sidon was asking if he wanted to come inside yet, so he answered, “A little sore, still.”

“Oh?” Sidon asked in a way that sent a shiver up Link’s spine.

Link didn’t like when that happened, and tucked his face back into Sidon’s chest to avoid meeting his eyes.

“I…  fell,” he confessed, “and it still hurt a little bit.  From…  last night.”

“Darling,” Sidon said as if Link had said something ridiculous, “I would never hurt you, you know that.  Honestly, sometimes I think you may be too spoiled.  But then I think about how much I like spoiling you.  I hope you never find out what real pain feels like.  So it doesn’t make my heart heavy when you believe that a little discomfort is real pain.”

Link didn’t think he was  _ that _ spoiled, not compared to Ravio.  But he knew he was losing his perspective.  It had been so long since the shelter, and he was trying so hard to eradicate that memory, but he knew that there were bunnies who didn’t have their own rooms or giant houses or people to hold them that they could stay with forever.

He was lucky, and he needed to appreciate it.

“On the subject of spoiling my perfect little bunny- I thought we may go into town, after lunch,” Sidon told Link, “the roads are clear and I thought that perhaps you boys would enjoy a shopping trip.”

“We should get Ravio a present!” Link agreed and cuddled closer.

“And I have something special I want to get for you,” Sidon told him.

“But you already got me so much,” Link protested.

“And I will get you so much more, pretty bunny.” Sidon pulled him back and booped his nose, “But you two should come inside and eat to warm yourselves up.  You look positively…  frozen.”

His voice had dropped on the last word in a way that always made Link’s stomach clench, though he wasn’t sure why.  He didn’t know what it meant, but sometimes Sidon scared him, just a little bit.  He didn’t want to think like that; he wanted to love Sidon, all of him, even the parts he didn’t understand, so he always tried to ignore that feeling.  Instead he hopped in place, trying to wrap his arms around Sidon’s neck, and eventually the Hylian took pity on him and lifted him.  Link winced as he was forced to put weight on his sore ass, but he wrapped his legs around Sidon’s waist and held himself with his thighs instead.  

He obviously wanted a kiss, and Sidon obliged him, cradling the back of his head in one hand and slotting their mouths together.  Link was much better at people-kisses than he had once been, had learned to do the things that Sidon liked, and as he sucked at his tongue, he felt the heat inside him building, and pulled back with a giggle before it got out of hand.

“Your nose is absolutely frozen,” Sidon said and rubbed his nose against Link’s, “Come on.  Into the house with both of you.  Get out of these wet clothes and sit by a warm fire.”

“That’s so sad for him!” Ravio was saying into the phone, and Sidon scowled.  He seemed to think that Ravio was saying something he shouldn’t know anything about.

“Sidon is so good at that!” Ravio agreed with Hilda, “Remember how Link used to be?  He bit somebody before, too!  But Sidon helped him and he’s not scared and mean anymore!”  There was a pause as if she were speaking, and when Ravio spoke again he was begging her to believe him, “But I can be quiet and nice!  I didn’t mean to scare Link!  I want to meet him!”  Another pause and, “I know, but-” another, this one longer than the last, “How do I prove it?”

Link clung to Sidon as he pulled open the sliding glass door and called, “Ravio, come inside, it’s freezing out there.”

Ravio obeyed him, though he was still listening to Hilda.

“Ok,” he said as if he had experienced a great disappointment, “but will you tell him that I want to meet him when he gets better?  I love you!  I miss you so much!  I can’t wait until you come home!”

Sidon set Link on his feet and went about the process of stripping him out of his outdoor clothes and hanging them on a coat rack by the fire to dry.  Link wasn’t particularly shocked when he didn’t stop and just raised his arms so Sidon could take off his sweater and undershirt, and tried to keep his tail still when Sidon pulled off his pants to lay them all by the fire.

“You can put them back on when we go out, if you like,” Sidon told him, and Link nodded, then gave him a peck on the cheek.

“Here’s your phone, Sidon!” Ravio exclaimed.  Link had been worried that talking to Hilda would make him sad, make him miss her even more, but it seemed to have perked him up.  He smiled and tried not to wriggle too much as Sidon undressed him, but his little tail was thumping away and he couldn’t stop it.  That amused Sidon so much that he took to scratching just above it, and Link watched Ravio sway on his feet at the sensation until he was forced to lean on Sidon for support.

Sidon laughed, but took pity on him and steered him by the shoulders to sit on his knees by the fire with Link.  Link spread out to lay on his stomach on the warm rug with his face by the fire, and was turning to beg Sidon to come and hold him, to cuddle up behind him, when he heard the rattling of the tea tray, and knew that he would be forced to eat instead of napping.  Link really liked tea, but only, he had realized when they had taken tea with Hilda at her house once, when Sidon made it for him.  He put something in it that other people didn’t, along with the honey that he poured in his own.  And Link’s little body was so frozen that he could feel it moving through him, warming him up from the inside.

“I suppose I should tell you, darling,” Sidon said, once they were all situated by the coffee table, Link and Ravio on the floor and him on the couch, “before Ravio does.  I had thought to put it off a little longer, because I’m not sure it’s all going to…” he paused, as if searching for the right word, “happen.”

Link nodded and nibbled his sandwich, eyeing the cakes that he wasn’t allowed to have until he finished his ‘real’ food.

“You remember Yuga, don’t you darling?” Sidon asked, and Link nodded.  “Well, when his grandfather passed away, tragically, Mr Dragmire left behind,” he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, set his tea on the coffee table, and leaned forward with his hands between his knees to try again, “In his life, Demise Dragmire had a bunny.  And now that he is dead, the bunny should go to live with his son.  However, he has been through…  quite a traumatic experience, so Ganondorf, Yuga’s father, is thinking of turning him over as evidence to the police.”

Link understood about every third word of what Sidon was telling him, and it showed on his face, so Sidon clasped his hands and tried again.

“When a person dies…  they do not come back.  This bunny’s owner is gone.  Forever.  And if he is given up as evidence, he will, essentially, be going to a shelter, and may be…  put down, after the trial.” Sidon explained, “You see, he caused a lot of damage, severely injured quite a few people, and sustained massive injuries himself.  Hillie says that the vet didn’t have enough flesh left to stitch his chest together.  He’s upset, he’s hurt, and he’s dangerous.”

Link stared up at Sidon in horror.  He could understand lashing out.  He couldn’t imagine what the bunny was feeling- he had, if he was honest, forgotten that humans could die.  It was possible that someone could promise to keep you for the rest of their lives, keep that promise, and you would still wind up alone.  And this bunny had been owned by an adult, so he was a cuddle bunny!  He had thought he was going to be safe and loved forever!  And to be hurt on top of it!?  They couldn’t let him go to the police shelter!  He would grieve himself to death there!

“Hilda mentioned, off-handedly, to the Dragmires that I had rehabilitated a bunny who had a history of violence, who had bitten people and fought other bunnies in the past.  She told them about how good you were now, Link.” Sidon continued, and Link nodded frantically.  

He thought he knew where this was going, and he agreed with Hillie.  Sidon was so good with bunnies!  Even with bad bunnies who no one else wanted!  Sidon could save this bunny, and Link could help him!  And soon, he would live with them, and Link would have another friend!  He had never had bunny friends before Ravio, but he liked Ravio.  He didn’t know what being ‘stitched together’ meant, but he knew that Sidon could fix it!  Sidon could fix anything.

“They have asked me if I would be willing to rehabilitate him,” Sidon explained, and Link nodded, so full of agreement that he sat up on his knees, but Sidon frowned and laid a hand on his shoulder.  “I have not decided yet.  I am not a home for wayward bunnies.  I love you, my pet, I could never love anyone else like I love you.  And I don’t know that I could care, full time for a bunny I didn’t love.  I don’t know that I could nurse him back to help and teach him how to be good knowing that I would have to give him back.  And if he is as dangerous as Hillie says he is, I’m not sure I want him around you.”

Link blinked the tears from his eyes.  He had to do something to change Sidon’s mind.  They couldn’t let the poor thing go to a shelter or be ‘put down’- whatever that was.  They had to save him.  He was still on his knees, with tears flowing down his cheeks, when he began to beg.

“Please, Sidon!” he fisted his little hands on the table, “Please help him!  He must be so scared and alone.  I’ll help.  Please.”

He had spoken more than he usually did, and his throat still hurt a little from- that is, was still a little uncomfortable from- being choked, so when the crying constricted his lungs, he couldn’t sob like he needed to, and began to cough instead.  Yet still, he tried to speak.

“Please, let’s help him!” 

“Shss, darling, don’t cry,” Sidon gently wiped away Link’s tears with his thumb.

“You are really good at it,” Ravio said quietly, “Hillie talks about how much you helped Link all the time.”

Sidon stood and pulled Link over the little table to cradle him in his lap.

“Shss,” he said again, “stop crying.  You’re being silly.”

“I’m sorry,” Link said to Sidon’s shirt, “I just want him to be ok.”

Link felt Sidon’s arms tense up, and he knew he was in trouble.  But Sidon let out a long sigh with so much force that it ruffled his hair, and when he spoke again, he sounded completely defeated.

“I just can’t deny you anything, darling,” he said sadly, “it will be the death of me.  I’ll tell her that I will try.  But I want you to understand that we won’t be keeping him forever, just until he gets better and becomes a good pet.  Then he’ll be going to Mr Ganondorf with the rest of Demise’s estate.  And he  _ is  _ dangerous, so I need you to be extra good and obey me.  You cannot slip up with him like you did with Ravio.  If he hurts you, I will not hesitate to get rid of him.  I’m not putting your safety at risk for some…” he paused as if he had caught himself before he said something he was going to regret, and his tone was completely different when he spoke again, “stranger.”

Link sat up and grabbed Sidon around the neck with both arms as hard as he could.  He buried his face in his shoulder and said, over and over like a chant, a mantra, “Thank you, Sidon!  I love you, Sidon!”

He couldn’t see the sour expression on Sidon’s face, didn’t know that Sidon was actually a little angry with Hilda for volunteering him for the task without asking, or that Sidon didn’t want the other bunny around Link at all.

 

* * *

 

Link was happy, truly happy.  It was his fault that this bunny, who he hadn’t asked about, both because it was still a fresh and sore subject to Sidon and because the discomfort in his throat was something he wanted to avoid, would be safe, would come to stay with them, would learn, just like he did, how to be good again.  Bunnies wanted to be good, it was in their nature, and being bad could really mess them up inside.  Link knew that whatever this bunny had done, whoever he had fought or bitten, he regretted it.  He would want to be good again, and they would help him.  And then he would go to a new owner, Mr Ganondorf, and be happy and taken care of again.

But he couldn’t stop thinking about how he must be feeling now, alone and scared and having just come back from the vet.  Link hated the vet.  Sidon had taken him there to get his vaccinations and an exam, and swore it was for his own good, which Link believed.  Cuddle bunnies had to go to the doctor, Sidon explained, especially if they came from a shelter, because bunnies could get sick in shelters easily, and cuddle bunnies had to be healthier than toy bunnies.  He had told him that if he let the doctor touch him and poke him and take his blood out in little tubes, it would make him healthier.  Link wasn’t sure how it worked, but he knew it was for his own good.  It didn’t mean he liked it.

But he liked it when Sidon took him shopping, because, he had to admit, he was spoiled.  There was a bunny store that he loved in the mall in town, where they often went when the mood struck Sidon to buy Link things, a mood he often took for seemingly no reason.  He didn’t normally keep Link on a leash, but Ravio really was the kind of bunny who would run off and get lost and kidnapped if anyone except Hilda had him, so Sidon had asked him to wear one, for solidarity.  Link didn’t need it, because he hated crowds and stuck close to Sidon, clinging to his arm, but Ravio…

Ravio choked himself in the first ten minutes trying to run into a candy store, then again as they walked past the video game store.  Each time he pulled so hard he jerked Sidon’s arm forward, and by the third time, when he tried to run into the food court, Sidon yanked back so hard he came barreling into his chest.

“Behave,” Sidon warned, and Link nodded in agreement.  Ravio’s energy was too much for him sometimes, but he tried not to let it get on his nerves.  Ravio knew how to act in public!  Link had seen him be good before, and he knew he was just acting out because Hilda wasn’t with them.  He thought about telling Sidon that if you pulled Ravio’s ears he would stop, but there was no way he was going to talk with his throat so messed up and in such a big crowd.

Besides, that seemed like one of those things it…  might be better if Sidon just didn’t find out about.

“There’s the bunny shop!” Ravio pointed and took off again, and Link rolled his eyes.  He wanted to tell him to stop.  He wished he could be as easygoing as everyone else.  Maybe the hurt bunny would be nice and quiet, like he was, and not loud and energetic like Ravio.  Maybe they could sit and read together- if the other bunny didn’t know how, Link would teach him with picture books just like Zelda taught him.

ZELDA

Her name was  _ Zelda _ .

Link blinked and focused back on the mall as they walked into the store, because he didn’t know what to do with that information.  It didn’t mean anything anymore.

“Darling, you need a haircut,” Sidon told Link, and Link froze.  

He hated the thought.  The last time he had been groomed had been at the shelter, and his hair had looked horrible as a result, because he was still angry about his situation, and he hadn’t been grooming himself at all, and the fur, where he had it, along with his hair, had gotten so matted and gross that it had to be cut out, close to the scalp.  He had fought tooth and nail, biting and scratching, and the lady had finally had to put him in restraints to keep him from hurting her, all the time explaining that she was trying to help him.  But at the time, Link hadn’t wanted help.  He had wanted to be left alone with his emotions until they killed him.  As a result his hair had been uneven and ugly the whole time he had been with Sidon, and had grown so long that it reached past his shoulders.

But now Sidon was here, Sidon would keep him safe, and no one would cut him or hold him down and hurt him.  Everything was going to be alright.  So he clung more fiercely to Sidon’s arm and let him walk him over to the grooming counter.

Link tuned out, looking at the posters on the wall, and didn’t hear the lady talking to him when she said, “Come on, sweety, hop into the chair.”

“Link?” Sidon said, and he snapped to attention, looked at the lady, then at the tray with the combs and scissors, and buried his face in Sidon’s arm.

“He’s very shy,” Sidon explained, “he’s a rescue.”

“But he’s really good!” Ravio explained, looking at Link.  It had been meant to assure him more than the groomer.

Sidon picked Link up and sat him on the chair with a happy, “There you are, darling.  Be a good bunny now.  This nice lady is going to make you even prettier.”

“Sidon,” Ravio had wandered over to a nail polish display, “can I get my nails purple?  Please?”

Sidon smiled and took Link’s hand, and studied it before responding, “Yes, if you like.  Link should get his nails done too, or at least filed.  He’s really doing a number on my back.”

Link blushed and squirmed in his seat.  He hadn’t expected Sidon to say something like that, in public, in front of a stranger.  But the groomer was completely unperturbed, as if Sidon hadn’t said anything inappropriate.

“Is this pretty little thing a cuddle bunny?” She asked, “Oh, honey you have to keep them trimmed or they will draw blood, especially with the male owners.  He’s so small I thought he was a toy.” She laughed as if she had made a joke and continued, “That’ll teach me to judge a book by its cover, won’t it, sweety?  Now you just relax, you jumpy little thing, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Link did not like this lady.

“Do you want me to take the clippers to his body?  I don’t think this one can handle wax.  Most folk like their cuddles smooth.”

“It is getting long around his tail,” Sidon said, “It couldn’t hurt.”

“Sidon,” Ravio said, “I want purple!”

“Alright,” Sidon said dismissively, “wait until Link has had his haircut and you can get them done together.”

“By Din’s glowing eyes, honey,” The woman was touching his hair, and Link did not approve, “whoever got at you last really messed you up, didn’t they?”

“It was at the shelter,” Sidon explained, “You should have seen him when I brought him home.  I want to leave the length, just clean it up a little.”  He held up his phone and Link’s panicked eyes darted to it, “Smile, darling, I want before and after pictures.”

Link put on his best fake smile, but when the lady went to pull of his sweater, he screamed.

“Link!” Ravio chastised.

“I am so sorry,” Sidon told the groomer, and grabbed Link by both wrists.  He hadn’t even realized he was clawing at her.  “For heaven’s sakes, Link, why would you do that?”

Link’s eyes were wide with panic, and his breath came in short puffs.

“You have to tell me,” Sidon explained, “I won’t know unless you tell me.”

Link nodded.  That made sense.  He leaned up as close to Sidon’s ear as he could and mustered all his strength to whisper, “Why is she taking my clothes off?”

“Because she’s going to trim your fur, silly bunny,” Sidon explained as if he were being  _ exceptionally _ silly, “Did you think she was going to do that through your clothes?”

Link suddenly felt stupid and embarrassed.  The grooming station was a little ways away from the store proper, and blocked by the counter, so it wasn’t like he was out in the open where anyone could see him.  He didn’t understand why he got so scared and silly sometimes.  He lowered his head and hoped that Sidon would read it as an apology.

“Be a good boy?” Sidon phrased it as if it were a question, but Link knew it was a statement.  He didn’t want to embarrass Sidon in public again.  So he nodded.

“I’ll undress him,” Sidon told the groomer, though she laughed it off.

“Oh, I’ve seen much worse than that,” she dismissed, “You should see the toys we get in here.  Kids stick the weirdest things to them, color on their hair with paint or markers, and then the parents come in here begging me to fix it and make it look decent while the poor bunny has tugged half its hair out in fear.  Some people just shouldn’t have bunnies.” She paused, then added, “Or children.”

“I agree,” Sidon said as he stripped Link, “that’s why I decided to get a rescue instead of buying from a breeder.  These poor bunnies need all the love they can get.  Do you know that my Link was there for over a year?  Can you imagine that?  Such a pretty little thing.  But their loss is my gain, isn’t it darling?”

Link didn’t hear him.  He had tensed up as the woman picked up the shears, watched her eyes roaming up and down his body.

“Do you want me to leave anything?” She asked, “Most folks just leave the tail and the head, but some like to leave a little patch around the genitals like humans, and others…  honey you wouldn’t believe some of the stuff I’ve done in here.”

“I think…” Sidon said as he studied Link, “Yes, just the tail and his pretty little head.  Everything else can go.”

Link didn’t like the buzzy shears, but he put up with them as he closed his eyes and hyperventilated.  He could do this.  He could get through this.  It wasn’t like at the shelter where they would hold him down and hurt him.  As long as he was good and he didn’t move he was going to be fine- more than fine: pretty.  He had to admit that he liked being pretty, liked hearing Sidon say it, but liked it just because he  _ liked  _ it.  He liked the pretty outfits, he liked the feeling he got when he looked into a mirror and saw himself.  He was vain.  But that was alright, because Sidon liked it too.  Everything was fine.

Until she got to his pubic hair.

EVERYTHING WAS NOT FINE.

He screamed again and the groomer backed off as if she thought he was going to start slashing.

“Link,” Sidon said with the voice of a man who was quickly losing his patience.

Link bowed his head until his chin touched his chest, but his fear hadn’t dissipated.  He didn’t want that loud, bladed machine anywhere near his dick.

“He sure is skittish,” The groomer said, “Should I tie him down?”

Link shook his head violently.  Don’t tie him to the chair- that’s what they did at the shelter!  He would be good!  He would sit still!  He could do it!

“Oh, I don’t think that’s what it is,” Sidon said as everything slotted into place in his mind, “He’s just…   _ very  _ shy.”

He wiggled his eyebrows and the lady laughed, and Link seethed.  He didn’t like it here, and he wanted to leave.

“He might be sore there, too,” Ravio added, and Sidon gave him a look that silenced him instantly.

“Oh, I see,” the woman smiled, and looked as if she wanted to pinch Ravio’s cheek and was holding herself back.

“Perhaps I should just take some of those wax strips and try it myself at home,” Sidon sighed, “I don’t think he’s going to be able to sit still.  He’s a good bunny, but his past has made him skittish.”

“The poor little thing,” The groomer gently patted Link’s head in an attempt to comfort him, but it had the opposite effect and he tensed under her unfamiliar touch.  “That would last longer, so you wouldn’t need to bring him in as often.  I get a feeling this little guy doesn’t like me very much.”

“I think that’s what I’ll do,” Sidon decided, and Link let out a sigh of relief.  “And he simply…  doesn’t like crowds.  I’m not sure what his previous owners did to him.  He speaks very little.  I think he’s been traumatized.”

“He’s lucky to have you,” The groomer said as she misted Link’s hair with a spray bottle.

“Sidon is good with bunnies,” Ravio said as he came to stand next to him.

“What are you eating?” Sidon asked him.

“There’s a plate of cookies over there,” Ravio pointed, and indeed there was a plate set out, along with a coffee maker.

“Are those for bunnies?” Sidon asked, wide-eyed.

“They can eat them,” the groomer told him as she evened up Link’s hair, “He’s not the first one to just grab without asking.”

“I’m watching him for a friend,” Sidon said to imply that his bunny would never take something without asking.

“Oh, I know Ravio,” the lady smiled.  “He’s difficult to forget.”

Link agreed with that completely, but he didn’t know how Ravio could just eat random things he found.  Sometimes he wanted to be carefree like Ravio, but other times he thought that one day it would get Ravio into serious trouble.  He was also still upset about disappointing Sidon.  

After the lady finished his hair, he stepped into a little box, and hot air blew out in all directions.  It was loud, but Sidon was standing right outside, and it blew away all the stray hair she had cut.  When he stepped out, she brushed it out and put some kind of cream in it, until it was smooth and silky and fun to play with, then Link put his clothes back on all by himself while Sidon paid and talked to her.

“You look pretty!” Ravio said.

Link nodded.

“But you shouldn’t scream,” Ravio said around his cookie, “Why did you do that?  You did that to me before.  Don’t scream at people.”

Link felt like Ravio had no right to tell people not to be loud, and took a bite from the cookie in his hand, even though he didn’t want it, just to leave less for Ravio.

“Hey!” He said, and added, “I’m not being mean…  I just don’t want you to get in trouble.”

Link sighed.  Ravio was right, he was being weird and silly.  So he took his hand and squeezed it.

“Come pick out what color you want your nails!” Ravio pulled him over to the display.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More happy fun time! Cute bunnies shopping! Getting manicures! Sidon wants to spoil his little Link! Nothing bad could possibly ever happen to them- look how happy they are!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That wasn't me being a sarcastic dick. This seriously is a slice-of-life chapter where nothing bad happens! 
> 
> HAPPY NEW YEAR! 
> 
> Let's all take a minute to appreciate how low we've set the bar for 2018. There's nowhere to go from here but up!
> 
> As always, I wanna thank MissGillette for letting me use her AU, and for beta reading everything to make sure I stay true to it! If you've somehow wound up here without reading her story first, you're doing yourself a disservice! So hit up the link at the beginning of this story and give it a read. Because it's great.
> 
> I've gone over on this story, in terms of sheer word count, so I want to let everyone know that at the time I'm posting this I do have 18 chapters written. So... it's gonna be a long-haul thing, but if you stick it out, I really think you'll like it, especially once the new bunny gets here. And if you're here for the tags and want that to hurry up and happen, please stick with me until chapter 7. I'm waaaay too long winded.
> 
> As always, tips are always appreciated: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Link winced every time the lady brought the clippers together, and trained his eyes on Ravio.  There was another bunny on the grooming chair now in the little hair cutting area, and she was so good and quiet that it made Link even more self-conscious.  He had apparently scared her, because he could hear her voice, before the shears started up.  He had caught a glimpse of her owner, a tall redheaded woman, who had arched an eyebrow at him as if she didn’t trust him.  Her bunny had thought that the groomer had tried to hurt him, but she hadn’t, not at all!  Link didn’t understand why he was so scared of everything!  No one else was like that!

“Hillie had to go with her friend so I’m staying with Sidon,” Ravio was telling the woman who was working on his nails.  They were sitting in a row with three seats, and Ravio had taken the middle so Link wouldn’t have to sit beside a bunny he didn’t know.  Ravio knew he would be extra jumpy because Sidon had wandered off to look at the display of waxes, and even though he was well within view and Link could skitter to him in less than a second, it made him nervous not to have him right behind him.

“Are you having fun?” The lady asked him.  They all seemed to know Ravio.

“He’s real fun!” Ravio told her, “And this is my best friend, Link!  Link is Sidon’s bunny and he’s real quiet, but he’s fun!  We play together!  We made snow bunnies and had a snowball fight and he hit me in the face but I don’t care because he’s nice sometimes, and we made a fort and Link’s playroom’s not as big as mine but Sidon’s not had him as long.  Sidon is so nice to me and he gives me way more cake than Hillie would because she said it makes me hyper but I don’t feel hyper at all, I feel fine!  And me and Link are gonna go shopping because Link is spoiled, and we might go out to dinner, but-”

“Are you sure it doesn’t make you hyper?” She asked, and turned on a machine to buff his nails to dull them.

Link glared at Ravio.  He liked to talk too much.  Link didn’t want random people to know everything about him.  And he really didn’t need to tell everyone that he was spoiled just because Sidon got him a lot of presents and let him do almost anything he asked including bringing in strangers to take care of.  Link wasn’t  _ that  _ spoiled!  Ravio was as bad as he was!  And Ravio had come into his house and more or less decided it was his.  He had spread his things all over Link’s room and taken over!  He had even scooted his furniture out of the way!  That was actually the original reason Link had wanted to go outside, because Ravio had taken over his space.  You don’t just show up and take over a bunny’s space!  Dens were important to bunnies!

But he couldn’t get mad at Ravio.  Ravio was going through a lot, and he was acting out because he missed Hilda.  Link had to keep that in mind so he didn’t let his anger build until he slapped him or something.  He tried not to get mad at Ravio, because he was generally nice, but sometimes he got on his nerves.  

Link jumped again as the lady began to buff down his nails, but calmed quickly to the sound of Ravio’s voice.  Everything was fine and he was safe.  If everything wasn’t fine, Ravio or Sidon would let him know.  These machines were just so loud!  He had never been near them before.  The last time he had had his nails painted, Zelda had done it, and he didn’t like it.  She had gotten the paint all over his hands and herself- but at least she hadn’t used any loud, scary machines.

“It’s alright, sweety,” The lady told him, and then it was.  Everyone here was being so nice to him, and they all called him pet names.  He wanted to like them, like Ravio.  He didn’t understand why that was so hard for him.  

“Good boy,” she praised when Link held perfectly still and she dusted off his nails, “Look how pretty!  Mr Ruta?”

Sidon came over with the box of wax strips still in his hand and said instantly, “Oh that’s much better already.  Is he squirming?”

“No, he’s a doll,” She smiled at Link, “I just wanted to know what design you wanted.  I can’t get him to say a word to me.”

Sidon apparently hadn’t really thought about it, and flicked through the book that had been opened on the counter.

“Here, darling, look with me,” Sidon encouraged Link, “Help me pick something out.  It’s going to be on your nails, after all.”

“I’m getting all of them purple but an accent nail, and it’s gonna be an owl!” Ravio said proudly, “Hillie loves owls!  She’ll think it’s so pretty when she gets back.”

“That’s nice, Ravio,” Sidon praised, “I’m sure she will.”  He chuckled at Ravio’s enthusiasm and how seriously he took the subject, while prompting Link to look at the designs.  Link didn’t understand how anyone could paint that well on a surface as small as a bunny’s claws.  When Ravio had told him to pick out a color, he thought that would be it.  He didn’t know it was a basecoat that they could paint on top of.

“You’ve sure got your hands full with this one, Mr Ruta,” Ravio’s technician told him, and Sidon smiled.

“Hilda Lorule is one of my dearest friends,” he explained, “She seems to be a regular at the pet salon.  Everyone knows Ravio.  She’s out of town for a funeral.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” she answered with more attention focused on Ravio’s nails than the conversation.

“It was a friend of a friend,” Sidon said dismissively.

“Well, it’s good of you to care for her bunny,” she told him.

“He takes really good care of me!” Ravio told her, “And Link.  Link is his bunny.”

“I know, dear, you told me,” The technician smiled.  Apparently she liked hearing Ravio prattle on.  “Maybe Link’s good manners will rub off on you.”

Link smirked, but didn’t look up to see Ravio’s expression.  There wasn’t really anything he liked in the book.  He still just wanted the green, so he tugged Sidon’s sleeve.  He was trying to muster up the energy to talk, but when he opened his mouth, his body shook, and his throat refused to work.

Then he saw what he wanted.  He thought Sidon would like it, and when he pointed to it, a smile split Sidon’s face.

“That would be cute,” he said, and Link kissed his hand.

“Aaaw,” the technician said as she began to paint, “That’s cute.  But the letters will be different honey.  Can you read?  Do you know what you’re getting?”

Link nodded, but Ravio answered for him.

“He reads a LOT!  He has so many bunny books he needs two bookshelves and they’re FULL!  Sidon buys him so many books!  I don’t know how he spends so much time reading.”

“Link likes more quiet pursuits,” Sidon told Ravio, “And sometimes I read normal books to him, as well,” he said to the technician, “I think he understands them.  He’s very intelligent.”

“I’m sure he does,” she said in a tone that Link felt was patronising, that he didn’t appreciate.  He  _ did  _ understand most of what Sidon read to him!  He thought that some humans didn’t understand how smart bunnies were.  Right now they were reading a book called “The Fisherman’s Wife” about sea monsters, and Link understood almost all of it.  He wondered if the ocean really was full of scary tentacled horrors that would come out and attack people…  he had asked Sidon, and Sidon told him that they did exist, but that he would never let them get Link.

Sidon stayed by his side while he sat patiently for the groomer, and Ravio rambled on and on about his life, about how much he missed Hillie, but how much fun he was having with Sidon and Link.  Thankfully, he kept his mind, and his mouth, out of the gutter.  Link looked up to see that Sidon was filming him on his phone, and Sidon pressed a finger to his lips to signal that Link should stay quiet.  He also apparently found Ravio’s behavior adorable instead of annoying.

When Link was finally allowed to take his hands out of the dryer, he stared at them and smiled.  It was grammatically incorrect, but he liked it.  In gold paint, on top of the green background, were the letters, “Sidon” and on the other “Bunny”.  “Sidon’s Bunny”.  He spun around and showed them to Sidon, and his owner beamed.

“You look gorgeous, darling,” he said, “let me get a picture.”

Link smiled and held his hands up by his face, and Ravio leaned back to watch him.

“I’m done too!” He said, “But can we not send a picture of mine to Hillie?  I want it to be a surprize!”

“Alright,” Sidon agreed with a chuckle, “But come and stand close to Link anyway.  Hold up the hand without the owl.”

Ravio came up and threw one arm around Link’s shoulders so Link grabbed him around the waist and held up just the hand that said “Sidon”.  Both of them smiled, and Link regretted how he had acted, because if he could just stop seeing danger everywhere the day could have been so much fun!  He could have enjoyed his primping like Ravio.  He was going to do better next time, to love it next time, because he thought Sidon would probably bring him back, given the way he was acting.

“Beautiful,” Sidon praised, and pulled the leashes from his pocket to attach back to their collars.  “Come on my pretty boys, let’s go shopping!”

Link knew he didn’t have the words to thank him, so he threw both arms around him instead, and pulled him into the tightest hug he could manage.

 

* * *

Sidon led them to the back of the bunny shop, to a little door with a curtain and a sign above it that said, “Cuddlebunny Playhouse 18+”.  He held up a card to the woman behind the counter, a gesture that Link barely registered and didn’t understand, because he was still looking at his nails.

When he did look up, Link froze in place.

He didn’t like it here.

“Can you get someone to help me?” Sidon asked the lady behind the counter, “I’d like to get him properly fitted.”

Link heard him like he was far away and underwater.  He was staring at everything in the store, all the things that he had only learned about since he met Sidon.  His eyes were locked to the toys behind glass cases, the display models sitting on top, the things that Sidon had used on him before he had ever ‘properly’ had sex with him.  He didn’t hear the clerk answer, didn’t hear any more of their conversation, and jumped when Sidon rested a hand between his shoulder blades.

Sidon followed his eyeline and chuckled.

“I don’t think you deserve a new toy after the fit you threw with the nice lady who was trying to cut your hair,” Sidon reminded him, and Link nodded, because that was fine with him.  He didn’t want a new toy.  He wasn’t overly enthusiastic about the ones they had.

Link’s favorite kind of sex was rare, and he normally took what he could get, but it didn’t involve toys.  He liked the nights where Sidon would pet him up, call him ‘good’ and ‘pretty’, remind him that he would belong to Sidon forever; where he would play and cuddle with him for a long time, slowly spread him open with his fingers while he played with his hair and let Link whine and moan and beg before he would take him, spreading him open with his cock and rocking them together, preferably with Link in his lap, or lying on the bed on his back.  Link loved that, but he felt selfish because it wasn’t Sidon’s favorite.

Sidon liked all kinds of things, and Link didn’t know what his favorite was, because it seemed like he was always thinking of something new.  Link thought that these new things happened too fast.  He never had enough time to get used to something before it changed.  And he knew something new was happening right now, so he cuddled into Sidon’s arm and let him guide him over to the little fitting rooms that looked so much like the ones in the normal store, beyond the little door with the curtain that Link was used to.

There were other people and their bunnies in the store, so it took a couple of minutes for a man to come walking briskly to them, holding a tape measure and wearing a uniform just like those the people who worked in the toy bunny section wore.  Link was trying to remember that they weren’t two different places.

“What a cute pair!” He said to Sidon, “Sorry about the wait.  It’s almost the solstice, the holiday shoppers, you know how it is.”

“It’s fine,” Sidon smiled at him and held Link by the shoulders.

“Sidon,” Ravio asked, “Can I go look at clothes?”

“Not yet,” Sidon wrapped his leash a little more securely around his hand, and said to the man, “I’m getting Link here measured for a corset.”

“Awe,” The man said as if that was the cutest thing he had ever heard, “He’s so tiny!  That’ll be adorable.  Come here, you pretty little thing.”

He held out a hand for Link to take, but Link buried his face in Sidon’s arm and felt his torso expand with the sigh he let out.

“He’s very shy,” Sidon explained, “He’s a rescue.”

The man bent down to be more on Link’s level and spoke quietly, as if he was used to dealing with someone so jumpy.

“You listen here, honey bunny,” he said, “My baby is a rescue too, and I’ve never hurt a bunny yet.  You don’t even have to take your pants off, and we’ll go into a changing room where no one can see you, ok?  If I do anything you don’t like, you scream and I’m sure your owner will come running, right, Mr?”

“Ruta,” Sidon smiled at the man and said, “Thank you for being so patient with him.”

Link stared at the man as Sidon unhooked his leash.  He seemed friendly, and they would be less than a foot from where Sidon would be sitting.  It would be completely unreasonable not to go with him, so he took a deep breath, steadied himself, squeezed Sidon’s arm one last time, and took the man’s hand.

He led Link into one of the changing rooms, and when he spoke, his voice was quiet and friendly, but the change in volume struck Link as odd.  He spoke like someone who knew bunnies had better hearing than Hylians and didn’t want Hylians to hear him.

“Alright, littlebit,” he smiled, “Would you like to take your shirt off for me or do you need help?”

Link could pulls his sweater and undershirt off himself, and he handed them to the man to hang up.

“Hold your arms out for me, alright?” The man said, and when Link did, he slipped the measuring tape around his chest, looked at it for a long time, then wrote down a number on a little notepad he pulled from the pocket of his work shirt.

“So, Link,” he asked, conversationally, “Do you like Mr Ruta?  Is he good to you?”

Link was confused by this question, and by the sincerity with which the man asked it.  Of course Sidon was good to him.  He nodded slowly, and let the man wrap the tape around his stomach.

“Take a deep breath and hold it,” the man said, and Link did.  “He’s never hurt you or anything?”

Link shook his head.  Why was this man asking him such ridiculous questions?

“You’re so small for a cuddlebunny,” the man said as he read the number on the tape.  “You don’t talk much, do you?”

Link shook his head and the man stared down at him before gently reaching out to touch the bruise on Link’s neck from where Sidon had choked him.  It was mostly hidden by his collar, and Link didn’t think anyone could see it.  He jerked back so hard he threw himself into the mirror, and the man took a step back and raised both hands.  His eyes darted to the door, and when he was satisfied that nothing was going to happen, he spoke again.

“Link,” he said, “I’m going to give you some advice.  Then we need to go back to your master, alright?  If he ever ties you down with anything, flex your muscles so they’re as big as they can get.  Look at me.” He flexed his arm and Link watched it bunch up in confusion.  “The bonds will be looser when you relax.”

Link nodded, perplexed at this advice.

“Now let’s get your clothes back on, alright?”

Link nodded again.

“You seem like such a good bunny,” the man said as he helped Link with his sweater, with a look in his eyes that Link didn’t recognize.  But it was gone in an instant, and he was smiling when he came out to greet Sidon.

“He’s such a sweet little thing,” the man said as he held out the paper, “my name is Shad and I would be happy to come and help if you need to learn how to get it on and off.  Blah blah blah safety spiel I have to give you, improper usage can cause rib fractures and organ damage, shortness of breath or suffocation; tight wasting is not recommended, especially for a bunny his size, the store will not be held accountable for any damages caused by our merchandise, and the customer accepts full responsibility for anything purchased at our locations.”

“How many times a day do you say that?” Ravio asked him with a smirk.

“Too many,” the man replied, and to Sidon proclaimed, “ring the bell when you need me, Mr Ruta, I have-”

“Can we  _ please _ get a fitting, it’s be a quarter of an hour!” A woman behind him snapped.  She was standing by the fitting rooms with a bunny with purple hair who had his arms full of the tiniest clothes Link had ever seen.”

“Right away, mam,” Shad said as he turned his back on them.

“It’s so busy,” Ravio huffed while Sidon clasped the leash to Link’s collar.

“Everyone is buying presents,” Sidon explained to him, and turned his attention to Link, “Darling, I’m going to get you a pretty little corset, like the bunny wore in that movie you liked.”

The context didn’t really help Link understand what he was talking about.  He had seen a lot of movies with a lot of different clothes.  But when Sidon took them to the clothing section, he recognized what he would be looking at almost instantly.  Sidon was right, he had thought they were pretty in the movie, but he didn’t know that he wanted one until he had been told that he could have it.

“This is temporary,” Sidon told him, “Until I can get one professionally made for you.  The dress-up clothes are fine to buy off the rack but for something like this, it really needs to be custom.  I’ve been looking at suppliers on-line and really Rhondson is the person I want to take you to, but she’s backed up for months.”

“Your favorite color is green,” Ravio told Link as if he didn’t know, “But black is classic, and purple is associated with royalty.”

He was flicking through the racks, but Link stood back by Sidon, watching, until he prompted, “Go on, darling, pick one.”

Link nodded and took a tentative step forward- there were way more designs, some with embroidery or clasps, all kinds of embellishments, and some more simple.  Link’s taste ran more understated than he thought most bunnies’ did, but this time…  this time he passed over the simple black garments like he had seen on TV; he was drawn to the deep emerald green with gold thread.  Ravio was right, green was his favorite color.

“Beautiful, darling,” Sidon praised, “Let’s find your size.”

He dug through the rack, studying the paper, until he picked one out and threw it over his arm.

“Link,” he smiled and rubbed his thumb gently over Link’s lips, “You were so good during your fitting that…  perhaps I will get you some new toys after all.”

Link smiled back, not because he considered that to be good news, but because Sidon was happy.

“Let’s try this on to make absolutely sure it fits, alright?” Sidon asked, and Link  _ did  _ consider that good news.

Unfortunately, there was a bit of a line for the waiting rooms, and Ravio wasn’t particularly good at waiting.

“Link,” he whispered, and tugged Link’s arm behind Sidon’s back.  Sidon was looking at his phone, which had buzzed before he picked it up.

Link reached up to hold his hand and Ravio smiled.

“When we get home,” Ravio said in a stage whisper, “let’s take some of the stuff in your room to the fort.”

Link shook his head.  It would be dark by the time they got home, which meant it would be even colder, and also that Sidon would want to ‘settle in’.  He wasn’t allowed to be away from Sidon after dark.  Hylians said that nighttime wasn’t as safe as the day.  He couldn’t imagine that Hilda let Ravio play outside after dark.

Ravio made a face and opened his mouth to speak, but Sidon cut him off.

“No, you aren’t going to go out in the darkness to be attacked.  But don’t worry, we’ll spend the evening playing with Link’s new toys.  You won’t be bored.”  He seemed annoyed by whatever he was reading on the phone, but shot them a smile that made Link uneasy.

Then it was their turn, but there wasn’t nearly enough room for all three of them.  There was barely enough room for Sidon and Link.

“Ravio,” Sidon told him, “You will  _ not  _ leave this shop, do you understand me?”

“I’ll be good!” Ravio promised, “I’ll stay right here.  I want to see Link!”

“Just don’t get into any trouble,” Sidon ordered, and closed the door.  He turned to Link and said happily, “Alright, darling, let’s get you out of these clothes.”

Link nodded and pulled the sweater over his head, hesitated to see if Sidon wanted him to keep going, and when he saw him waiting, pulled his undershirt off as well.  He was confused at Sidon’s expectant look- Shad had measured him without having to take his pants off, but he didn’t dare question it, and slowly slid them down.  He hadn’t been wearing boots long enough to remember that they zipped all the way up to his knees, and got himself into a bit of a mess.

Sidon laughed and unzipped them for him.

“There isn’t enough room to do anything properly in here,” Sidon mumbled, “These places should be bigger.”

Link nodded, sharing his aggravation.  Once he was disrobed, Sidon directed him to hold his arms up, and slipped the corset over him.  Link watched himself in the mirror, and was completely satisfied with what he had picked out.  He already looked…

He felt the tension building in his stomach and cursed himself.  Not right now, he was only trying on clothes!  What was wrong with him?

“Lean forward and brace yourself on the wall,” Sidon told him, and Link obeyed instantly.  Sidon had grabbed the strings about halfway down his back and pulled, and the force knocked the air out of him.  The material around him was sturdy and thick, and it gave Link the impression of being hugged.  As it got tighter and tighter, he was forced to stand up, perfectly straight while Sidon helped direct him.  It was difficult to breath, but when he looked in the mirror, he believed Sidon.  He could be a movie star.

The pressure stayed when Sidon took his hands away and moved them to squeeze Link’s waist, which was now so small that they almost engulfed it altogether.

“By the goddesses,” Sidon said reverently, as if he were gazing upon something holy and not completely understanding it, “You are so beautiful.  If I thought I could get away with it, I would have you right here.”

Link watched Sidon’s face in the mirror as he grabbed the wrist of one of his large hands and slowly, keeping his eyes trained on Sidon and away from his reflection, moved them to the erection in his underwear.

“Darling, I would if I could,” Sidon said like a man wavering in his resolve, “But I can’t.  You cannot cum in public.  I don’t know how many times I’ve told you that.  Do you remember the restaurant?  What happened with Ravio?”

Link whinned.  He had a vague memory of the night Sidon was talking about, but it was clouded by alcohol.  But he did remember the rule.  He thought it was a rule, in general, that everyone had, not just Sidon, because Sidon seemed to only be holding back because it existed.

He ground himself into Sidon’s hand, and in a small voice asked, “Can we go home soon?”

“I wanted to get some more things here,” Sidon said as he let Link grind against him, neither helping nor stopping him, “And we promised Ravio a nice dinner.”

Link didn’t want to go to dinner, he wanted to go straight home, but Sidon was right, they had promised Ravio, and he couldn’t back out now just because he had an irrational sexual attraction to a piece of clothing.  That would be…  stupid.  He loved the way it hugged him though, the way it made him stand with perfect posture.  He had never really noticed himself slouching, but he must do it most of the time, because he was sure he was taller wearing the corset than he had been without it.

“Thank you, Sidon,” Link said, standing on tiptoes to kiss his cheek, “I love it.  I love you.”

“Well, you do try your best to be a good bunny.” Sidon held his little chin between his thumb and finger, “I love to spoil you.  I can’t help myself.  But we’re being rude, there are people waiting.  Let’s get your clothes back on.”

Link hopped up to give Sidon a real kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link & Ravio finish up their night on the town with more shopping and a nice dinner. And when they get home, Sidon has a new surprise for them!
> 
> A sexy surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ends on a hell of a cliffhanger, but I hope you like it!
> 
> As always, I wanna thank MissGillette for letting me use her AU and reading over these chapters! I didn't mess anything up in this one, so yay me, lol.
> 
> As always, I have a Ko-Fi and tips are appreciated: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Link had been antsy since he left the dressing room, and Ravio picked up on it instantly.  Link felt even worse about how annoyed he had been with Ravio lately when he took his hand, smiled, and pulled him into a hug.  Ravio had made an appreciative ‘ooh’ sound when he felt how Link’s body tapered, and hadn’t been able to keep his hands off of him ever since, to Sidon’s growing annoyance.

It only took Link a few minutes to start getting light headed.

He didn’t know why, but lights danced in the shadows of his vision, and his ears had a slight, underlying ringing.  He thought maybe he was being seized by fear again, and followed Sidon around in a stupor until he had gathered everything he wanted and they made their way out of the store.  He knew he had been present for that, knew that he had helped with the shopping, but he couldn’t pull up the memory, and it frightened him.

He blinked to focus his eyes, and didn’t understand how he had gotten into the restaurant, which was quite obviously where he was.  There was a salad in front of him, a garden salad that he liked, that he knew he would have pointed to on a menu for Sidon to order, but he didn’t remember that.  Why didn’t he remember anything?

“Link?” Sidon was telling him, “Eat, darling, your pasta will be here soon and you haven’t touched your salad.”

Link nodded, and heard Ravio speaking somewhere to his left, far away and behind a wall, but when he turned his head to search for him, Ravio was right there, next to him.  Why did his voice sound so strange?  Why did everything feel so strange?  What had happened to all the time that had to have passed?  What was going on?

Link tried to draw a breath, blinked to steady his vision, and there was a slice of cake in front of him.  Ravio was laughing, almost too loud of the atmosphere, and Sidon was gently scratching behind his ears.  He loved the sensation, and leaned into it, closed his eyes- and opened them in the car.

Something was wrong.

Something was very wrong.

He reached out for Sidon, crawled into his lap, took a breath-

“Link!?” Sidon asked in a panic, and Link blinked himself into existence.  He was in Sidon’s lap, with his head facing the seat, and felt something tugging up and down his torso.

“Damn my impeccable knotting skills,” Sidon hissed under his breath, and Link thought how odd it was to hear Sidon damn anything.

Out of nowhere, the comforting hold of the corset fell away, and a gust of air rushed into his lungs, and it was like the world suddenly came into focus; his entire nervous system lit up, and it was too much, too much sensation- he screamed, tensed up, and came without being touched.  Reality settled around him and he clawed at the seat, panting, and eventually gained enough sense to lie down and press his face to the leather.

“Is he ok?” Ravio asked.

“By the goddesses, Link,” Sidon grabbed him and pulled him upright, into a hug so fierce it frightened him, “Darling, this- things like this- you have to speak with me!  You cannot keep up this ridiculous practice of maintaining silence!  Why didn’t you tell me the corset was too tight!?  You said it was perfect!  You thanked me!  You walked around for hours…  you passed out!  You can’t do things like that!”

Link blinked and tried to steady himself on Sidon’s shoulders.  He didn’t understand what he was being told.

“If they’re too tight, you can’t breath,” Ravio told him, “You got all lightheaded.”

Link took a deep breath and coughed through his ill-used lungs and sore throat.  When he gathered the courage to speak, all he could think to say was:

“It was pretty.  I’m sorry.  It didn’t feel…  I liked how it felt.”

“I swear, I’m beginning to think you have no self preservation instinct,” Sidon huffed.  “When we get home, you’re taking it off completely.”

Link bowed his head and nodded.

“I…  must admit that sometimes I forget, Link, that you’re a bunny…  or rather…  that bunnies aren’t hylians.  I’ll be more careful with you, I promise.” Sidon held him and kissed the top of his head, and Link snuggled into the place under his chin, and enjoyed the few minutes of paradise he would have before they got home.

 

* * *

Ravio still wore his leash as Sidon carried Link upstairs to his bedroom.  He tugged Ravio behind them, though he didn’t need to, because Ravio was as eager to follow along as he possibly could be.  He was still a little worried about Link, had watched him teeter around all day, but more than that, he was eager to play with all the new things Sidon had bought at the bunny store.  He and Link had been extra good at the restaurant exactly as they had promised, and he hoped that Sidon would reward them.

“My poor little bunny,” Sidon laid Link down gently on the bed and began to slowly undress him, “We won’t let that happen again, will we?”

Link shook his head and snuggled down to get comfortable.  He didn’t move, except to allow Sidon to better undress him, until he felt him stop completely.  Sidon had tugged down his underwear, and Link opened one eye to see his startled face.  He saw Sidon startled so rarely that the sight threw him, and he bolted up on his elbows to follow his eyeline.

Oh.

Right.

He had cum in his pants.

“When did this happen?” Sidon asked in a way that confused Link.  It held none of the anger he had been expected, and was, instead, steeped in genuine curiosity.

“When I…” Link spoke in a shaky voice, “Breathed?”

“When I unlaced your corset?” Sidon asked, and Link nodded as Sidon pulled his flaccid dick up to look at the mess.  He squeezed Link’s cock, and Link repressed the urge to jerk away, never taking his eyes off Sidon’s face.  His curiosity morphed into a smile and he gave Link a few half-hearted pumps before he said, “Interesting.”

Link snuggled back down in the bed, enjoying the slow, safe attention, and moaned as he felt himself harden in Sidon’s hand.  He moaned even louder when Sidon leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his lips, and tangled his fingers in the long braid that fell over his shoulder.

“I love how quickly you bounce back, honey bunny,” Sidon purred and Link snuggled into him, “You’re insatiable.”

“For you,” Link reminded him, “I wasn’t like this before you.  I’m yours.  Forever.”

Sidon enjoyed that, and leaned back down to kiss him again, but jumped up when he heard the rustling of paper.

“Ravio!” he said.

“I’m not opening anything, I’m just taking it out of the bags!” Ravio promised, and Link giggled.

“I don’t know how I’m going to take care of two bunnies,” Sidon muttered and Link whined as he let go of his dick, “You’re all insatiable.  I’ll have to get some very strong coffee…  Oh well, let’s get this off, darling.”

Link sat up to allow Sidon to slide his corset over his head, then snuggled his forehead into his chest.

“I want you to go into the bathroom and clean up while I get my little pick-me-up, alright, darling?” Sidon told him while he played with his hair, then he turned to Ravio and added, “You can help him if you like.  Neither of you are to open anything until I return, understand?”

“Yes, Sidon,” Ravio said, holding a box that Link only vaguely recognized.

“Be good,” Sidon warned one last time before he relaxed his grip on Link with a final scratch between the ears, and went to retrieve his, ‘very strong coffee’.  Link thought that between Ravio trying to run away and Link shrieking every time someone touched him, Sidon probably was pretty worn out.  They had really pushed their boundaries on their trip.

Ravio had been sitting on his knees going through the shopping bags, and Link didn’t trust him not to open them, so he grabbed him by the collar and drug him into the bathroom with him.

“Hey!” Ravio said, but he giggled when he saw the smirk on Link’s face and realized it was all in good fun.  He stood when Link let go, hopped up with the sort of energy that Link envied, and shoved him until he was sitting on the edge of the tub.  Ravio fell to his knees, smiled up at him, and it took Link a second to realize what he was doing.

Link was almost positive that this wasn’t what Sidon had meant, and his ears sprang straight up in alarm as Ravio’s tongue spread out over his flesh.  He shook his head and gently laced his fingers through his hair to pull him away.

“What?” Ravio asked.

Link pointed to the washcloths, rolled neatly into little tubes on the shelf, and it took Ravio a second to understand what he meant.

“Oh!” He said finally, “You think so?”

Link nodded.  He was fairly sure that Sidon had something in mind that he wanted him actually clean for, and thankfully, Ravio didn’t seem insulted.  He stood, got the washcloth and came back with a smile.

“I’ll still wash you if you want me to,” Ravio offered, and Link shrugged.  He stepped into the bathtub and let Ravio wet the cloth and soap it up, leaned against the wall as Ravio scrubbed him clean, and wasn’t at all embarrassed by the way his dick had hardened up again, bobbing away as Ravio ran the cloth around it.  Ravio hummed while he worked, and Link became so relaxed that he began to hum along with him, though he wasn’t sure where he knew the song from.

Ravio asked him to turn around, and he obeyed to press his forearms and face to the side of the shower wall.  He was startled when Ravio reached up to run his fingertips down his back.

“Oh, Link, I’m sorry,” Ravio said with great sincerity, and Link was confused.  If he wanted to be sympathetic about something he should trail his hand a lot lower.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Ravio told him, “Your back’s all red.  I got carried away.”

Oh, right, Ravio had scratched at him, but Link had completely forgotten all about it.  It didn’t hurt at all.

“It’s ok,” Link turned and smiled at him over his shoulder.

“I can’t do it anymore,” Ravio promised, “That’s why you have to go to the groomer.  You can’t keep screaming at people and freaking them out.”

Link knew that, and didn’t like it being brought up.  He didn’t like being lectured by Ravio, and Ravio picked up on his sour mood instantly.  He took down a towel and began rubbing Link dry, and kissing the marks he had made along his back.

“Are you boys playing in there?” Sidon asked from the bedroom, and Link giggled.  He put both hands on Ravio’s shoulders and steadied himself to step out of the bathtub, then kept them there to lead him into the bedroom.  Sidon had situated himself in the little sitting area by the fire, which had been lit, and was making himself a cup of coffee with a french press.  The smell was divine, but Link didn’t like the taste.

“I think Ravio’s a little overdressed, don’t you, darling?” Sidon asked, and Link smiled and nodded vigorously.  He didn’t like being naked all by himself, and took it upon himself to help Ravio out of his clothes by pulling his shirt over his head.

The instant he had it off, Ravio turned on him to peck a quick, friendly kiss to his lips, and though he undid his pants, Link was the one to tug them down with his underwear so he could step out of them.  Link was amazed at how well Ravio could hide it when he was aroused- another skill that Link just didn’t possess.

Ravio giggled when he caught Link staring, then sank to his knees.  He took Link’s hand and pulled him down with him, and together they crawled to Sidon, where he sat sipping his coffee.  He sat it down when they both began to nuzzle the outside of his thighs, and reached down to pet both of them between the ears.

He let out a contented sigh, and when he spoke it was obvious that he was restraining himself.

“Having both of you at my feet is absolutely divine,” he said with reverence, “but don’t get ahead of yourselves, little bunnies.  I want to try out some of our new toys.”

“But you promised you’d fuck me,” Ravio whined, and if Link didn’t understand where he was coming from, he would have been annoyed.

“I’ll have you before the night is out,” Sidon promised, and scratched the place where Ravio’s ear met his head, “don’t worry.  But I would like to relax for just a moment.  You two were…  difficult, today.”

He stood and walked between them to the pile- the absolute  _ pile _ \- of new toys he had gotten for Link.  He put a few of them back in the bags; Ravio should have never taken them out- and carried them back over to his eager pets.

“Alright,” he smiled, “both of you lie on your backs for me and spread your legs.”

Link did as he was told, but it was a confusing request.  Both of them?

Sidon came to him first, and the thing he pulled from the box looked like a collar, but it was much too small.  Sidon smiled down at him with a gleam in his eye, and Link’s animal brain told him ‘ _ A predator is watching you.  Fight or flight, little bunny. _ ’ but the logical part of him knew that it was a misfire.  He didn’t understand why that happened, but he wished it would stop.

Sidon was fondling him again, and he arched up into his hand.

“There we are,” Sidon said softly, “there’s my good boy.”

He moved his hand lower, gently caressing his balls, and Link moaned- until his hand tightened.  And he pulled.  It wasn’t enough to hurt- it wasn’t even really a ‘pull’, that had been the wrong word- but it was enough to make Link’s heart stop in his chest, enough to make him lean up on his elbows to see what Sidon was doing.  He couldn’t see very well because his dick, betraying him again, was in the way, but he felt Sidon sliding the collar around the place where his balls attached to his body.  He tightened it, but again, not enough to hurt.  It really was exactly like a collar.  It didn’t hurt at all, but it was such an odd piece of clothing to wear that Link reached out to flatten his dick to his stomach and look down at it.  It was still a bad angle.

“Is it too tight?” Sidon asked, “And tell me the truth this time.”

Link shook his head, trying to find a way to contort his body so he could see what Sidon had done to him.

Sidon laughed at him, but Ravio, who had rolled over on his side to look at him, said, simply, “Cute!”

Link reached down to feel as Sidon moved over to Ravio.  It was a collar, exactly like the one on his neck, with a place for the leash and everything.  It pulled his balls down a little, and they were a bit more sensitive to the touch, but it didn’t hurt at all.  It was just such a weird place to wear a collar.  Ravio wouldn’t run off with that thing.  Yeah, with the one around your neck you would choke yourself, but with this-

Oh no.

He clenched his teeth to take in a deep breath.  Sidon would never hurt him.  Sidon would  _ never  _ hurt him.  It might be uncomfortable, it might be sore, but it would never  _ hurt _ .

Link had never needed a leash anyway.  Everything would be fine.

He sure wished his heart would slow down though; it was beating so fast, pumping more blood to his dick and making him lightheaded.

“Alright,” Sidon smiled, “Both of you on your knees for me.  Scoot as close as you can together.  Pretend to like each other.”  

He was teasing, and Ravio giggled.

Link had been trying to get a good look at Ravio, to see what the toy looked like on him, but Ravio was fully immersed in the game, and grabbed him by the shoulders to pull him into a hug.  Link hugged back, and Sidon smiled from where he still knelt beside them.  He was opening another box, and Link’s eyes were glued to it.  It wasn’t a leash, which is what he had been expecting.  It was a small metal circle, that could be opened or closed, and Link studied it trying to figure out what something so small could possibly be needed for.

Sidon pried them apart a little at the hips, and Link felt Ravio tense up.  He barely had time to register it before he felt the pressure from the collar and winced along with him.  Sidon smiled, content that the collars had them successfully clasped together, stood, and walked back to his seat to sip his coffee.

“Sidon?” Ravio asked in confusion, and Link pushed him back a little to try to see what was going on, though he was fairly certain he already knew, and Ravio yelped in pain, “Ow!  Link!  Don’t do that!”

He glared at him with real anger, and Link whispered, “Sorry,” and threw his hands up.  Sidon watched them over the top of his cup.  

“What should we do?” Ravio asked Sidon as Link tried to lean back on his arms, to tilt his head to see where they had been clipped together.

“Why, whatever you like,” Sidon said as if he was uninterested in the conversation.

“But…  you said you would fuck me!” Ravio reminded him, and Link hissed, because Ravio liked to move when he talked, and he had pulled back enough to tug the collars, to hurt them both.  He recognized his mistake instantly, and said, “Sorry, Link!”

“Well, darling,” Sidon smiled, “If you insist.  I would be a terrible pet-sitter if I didn’t keep my promises to my guest.”  He finished his coffee, set it on the table with the press, and spread his legs.  Link and Ravio both watched as he reached into the bag by his feet and pulled out a brand new bottle of lube.  He sat it beside his empty cup, popped the button on his pants, and slowly pulled down the zipper.  He pulled out his cock and held it as he crooked a finger at the bunnies kneeling on the floor.

“Come here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want the entire audience to let out a collective scream of "RAVIO NO!" at the end of this chapter. :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like smut, because that is literally ALL this chapter is. One last night of happy bunny threesomes before the new bunny gets here to turn everything upside down!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I want to bitch about how wordy I got and how long this goddamn thing is, and thank anyone who's willing to stay here for the long haul ordeal that this thing is turning into (I'm 20 fucking chapters in at this point and I still have stuff I want to do before it ends, but I am trying my damndest to wrap it up because I know how goddamn excessive that is), ESPECIALLY MissG, who not only let me use her AU, but reads every chapter and gives me feedback to make sure that I stay in-line with it. That means she has secret knowledge of everything that's going to happen, lol.
> 
> Seriously, her story is amazing, and it's linked at the top of the page. If you haven't read that, I don't know what the hell you're doing here, so make sure you give it a read!
> 
> I also want to thank everyone who's been reading along and leaving comments. You guys don't know how much that means to me!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, because next week the new bunny gets here and shit starts to go down: Watership Down.
> 
> As always, tips are appreciated: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Link barely had enough time to think  _ RAVIO NO!  _ before the pain hit him.  Ravio had moved to crawl towards Sidon as soon as he was told he was allowed to, apparently having learned nothing from being choked at the mall or the few seconds they had already spent strapped together.  The pain shot through him like a bolt of lightning, and he grabbed Ravio- who had to feel it as well- by the shoulders to yank him back.

Stupid dumb-bunny idiot literally didn’t understand anything!

Ravio seemed afraid of the look in Link’s eyes, and Link remembered that look of fear, remembered seeing it on the other bunnies in his enclosure who had tried to come into his little corner at the shelter.  Ravio thought he was going to do something bad.

No.

Calm down.

Link was a good bunny.  And good bunnies could make friends, didn’t get mad them for making mistakes.  He suspected, now that he thought about it, that Sidon had done this because he had noticed Link had been getting more and more annoyed with Ravio.  He had said all kinds of things that made Link think he noticed; “Pretend to like each other” and “Give him a proper goodnight kiss” and “Don’t let him drown.”  And now they were stuck together, and trying to do anything without thinking of the other would hurt.

So he pulled Ravio close and kissed his cheek.  He held him for a few seconds, just to prove that he wasn’t angry, that he wasn’t bad, and Ravio relaxed in his arms.

“We have to think,” Link whispered into the base of Ravio’s long ears, “We have to work together.”

“You’re right!” Ravio agreed, excitedly, and squeezed him back, “I’m sorry.”

Link glanced up at Sidon, who was still watching them with his glistening eyes, and couldn’t suppress the shudder that went through his body.  But he knew Sidon wasn’t upset.  He didn’t know what that part of Sidon was, what name to give it, so he ignored it, as he always did.

“Ok,” Ravio said, breaking Link’s train of thought, “Let’s stand up, and let’s do it really fast so we can’t possibly mess up more than once.  We hop up on three?  Ok?”

Link didn’t know that that was the best plan.  He probably would have gone more slowly, but he understood what Ravio meant and where his line of thought came from.  If they went all at once it was all or nothing, they would fall or they would stand.  If they broke everything down into unnecessary steps it would just give them more opportunities to mess up.  So he nodded.

“One.  
Two.

Three.” Ravio counted, and they were on their feet.  Link was amazed that they had worked together so well with so little planning, and reached out to grab Ravio again.

He heard Sidon laughing and turned to smile at him.  He looked as proud of them, and as happy, as Link thought he would.  They had figured it out!  They just had to move together, like a dance.

The kiss Ravio pressed to Link’s lips was probably meant as a reward for a job well done, but even if that wasn’t the case, it was accepted as such.  Ravio pulled back and giggled, and Link tried to ignore the creeping fear that danced at the edges of his vision so that he could just have fun with him.

Link slid his hands down to take Ravio by the hips, and guided him as they made their way to Sidon.  Ravio was forced to move backwards to do this, which was complicated by the fact that now that there was no pain, both bunnies were very aware of how close together they were- and Link often chastized himself for being too obsessed with sex, for giving into arousal too easily, but Ravio was as bad as he was.  That meant they kept stopping, because they weren’t well coordinated enough to move towards Sidon while they ground against each other as much as the restraints would allow, and kept getting caught up in deep, meaningful kisses that left them panting for breath.

Link was drawn out of his stupor when he caught Sidon’s gaze again.  The predator was still there, but Sidon looked thrilled.  His erection was stiff in his hand, and he slowly pumped as if he only had a sort of detached interest in it.  His attention was obviously on the bunnies in front of him- on the show.  Link didn’t understand how much his half-lidded eyes meant to Sidon when he kept their gazes locked during his next kiss.  The heat that had been building in his body was almost too much to bear as he watched Sidon watching him, saw him lick his lips and the minute tilt of his head that Link interpreted as ‘ _ Hurry up, darling.  Come here _ ’.

Link moved Ravio a bit more quickly after that, and Ravio giggled and kept pace with him.  They moved so well together, had the same reflexes, the same overall size, and Link thought, deep down, the same instincts that Ravio could pull from if he tried.  When they made it to Sidon, they both wrapped their arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on each cheek, though they hadn’t actually planned to move in synchronicity so well.

“How cute,” he said with a smile, and held them still so that he could peck Link on the lips and Ravio on the forehead, “now get back down for me, like last night.  I think that would be the most comfortable way to do this, don’t you, boys?”

It took Link a second to process what he had said, to form the mental image in his head, and it took them much longer to get down than it had to get up.  Link winced as they lowered themselves slowly, helped by a firm grasp on Sidon’s thighs, and thought of the pratfall Ravio took in the snow.  He knew how to fall without hurting himself.  He could hop down as easily as he could hop up.  He was moving like this, one hand still on Link’s hip, for Link’s benefit.

Once they were on their knees they still had to get Link on his back, and it involved a lot of listening as Ravio gave short, half-giggled commands of ‘move like this’, ‘ a little bit more’, ‘follow my lead’, and Link forgot the potential for pain.  It was much more like a game, and Ravio squirming against him was rubbing him in all the right ways.  Ravio must have read his mind, because when Link was finally on his back on the warm rug next to the fire, Ravio decided to speak.

“Sidon,” he begged, “can we have some lube?”

“Absolutely,” Sidon purred, stood, and stalked towards them.  He knelt to hand it to Link, and scratched Ravio behind the ears as he instructed, “Prepare him for me, darling, would you?  You two are just so  _ cute  _ together.”

Link nodded as if his head may fall off, and it took some maneuvering, but he was absolutely determined to do just that.  Ravio had to splay out a little more to the side of him than behind him, and Link didn’t have a very good view, but he was perfectly capable of working on feel alone- he did it to himself all the time.  Ravio’s tail thumped enthusiastically against his forearm as he poured the slick stuff across his opening, but it moved so fast it seemed to be vibrating when Link scooped a gob of it inside with one finger.

“More, Link,” Ravio begged, and Link rolled his eyes.  

He wasn’t going to move too fast and hurt him, and he hoped that Ravio had enough sense not to jerk.   _ Hold still _ , he thought as he squirted more lube- he had a habit of using too much, Sidon had once told him, but Link wasn’t sure there could be a ‘too much’ of the stuff that kept the friction and snags down.

“It tingles!” Ravio exclaimed as Link pressed another finger inside him, “Do you feel that?”

Link sort of felt it, but it had to feel much better on Ravio’s insides than it did on his fingers.  Link was trying to do something, but he had never tried to do it on anyone but himself, and he was having a difficult time.  When Sidon had taught it to him, he assumed it would work on all bunnies.

“Where is your prostate?” He asked, under his breath and with great annoyance.  ‘ _ Prostate _ ’ might, Link considered, be his favorite word that Sidon had added to his vocabulary.  It was much more fun to say, sounded almost medical, and didn’t give him the same hot-faced embarrassment as most of the others.  He thought that it was because of the way he had learned it, face down in Sidon’s lap while his master played with him the way he liked, gently and slow- almost torturously slow- until Link had come with no attention to his cock.  It had been a good night.

He was pretty sure he could do that to Ravio, though he wasn’t sure if he would or not, but he didn’t expect Ravio to understand him or know what he was talking about.  Ravio had a female owner, and Link was pretty sure the only time he got fucked ‘properly’ by a real dick was when Sidon played with him.  So he was shocked and a little disappointed that he did not, after all, know something Ravio didn’t.

“Push down,” Ravio told him, and Link obeyed, “A little deeper, just a little bit- Yes!  Yes right there!”

He had been trying not to jerk and hurt them, so his little body went completely rigid, and Link smiled, and did it again.  He could feel Ravio’s dick twitching where it was trapped between them, and he sang his praises every time he applied even a little bit of pressure.

“Yes!  Yes!  Just like that!  Link!” Ravio had his eyes closed now, and his hands fisted in the carpet.  Link was kind of scared he might pull it up and leave ugly bald patches, so he pressed as hard as he could and just held it there.

“Don’tDoThatDon’tDoThatICan’tHoldStill!” Ravio warned through gritted teeth, and devolved into a mantra of, “I can’t I can’t I can’t, Link, I can’t.”

“Yes you can, darling, you’re doing so well,” Sidon praised, “You have more control than you think, doesn’t he, Link?”

Link nodded, but when he turned his gaze back to Ravio, he saw the tears starting to seep from the eyes he had tightly screwed shut, and let up the pressure instantly.  Ravio shuddered through his whole body, and Link concentrated, instead, on stretching him like he was supposed to.  He didn’t catch the look of disappointment that passed over Sidon’s eyes the moment Link chose mercy.

“I think he’s ready, darling,” Sidon held Link’s chin to kiss his forehead, “You’ve done well, hasn’t he, Ravio?”

“He did  _ really  _ good,” Ravio agreed with a dreamy sigh.

“Alright then, let’s get you positioned properly, shall we?” Sidon guided Ravio until he was once again lying flush on top of Link.  Ravio pushed himself up on his elbows to play with Link’s hair- he had been doing that off and on since Link got out of the groomer’s, and Link, who learned from experience rather quickly, threw one arm around Ravio and the other, slick with the lube, between them to hold their cocks together.

“You did really good, Link,” Ravio whispered again, and Link felt the blush creeping up his face.

He felt the shadow before he saw Sidon, towering above them as he had done before.  Sidon was so big…  it was perhaps a strange thing to fixate on, but even for a Hylian he was physically big, strong, intimidating.  He had a room in the house that existed only to make him bigger, and Link often went to watch him and play in the pool with him.

That’s how he had learned that bunnies can’t breath underwater.

But the point was: Sidon was big and strong and no one would ever be able to hurt Link because Sidon would protect him.  He felt like a protective wall as he planted his hands on either side of Link’s head, and Ravio moaned between them and jostled forward just a little into his hand.  If that had not been enough to let Link figure out what had happened, Ravio let out a loud:

“Oh god, Sidon, yes!  You’re so big!”

Link agreed with that.  He had once been concerned- one might say overly concerned- with their sheer size difference.  He had no idea, the first time he had seen Sidon’s dick, how he was going to fit it into his throat, let alone his ass.  But Sidon had spent nearly six months working with him, using a series of toys of ever increasing sizes, and the short answer to that question was simply that one could do almost anything if they had a will to make it happen.

Ravio shocked him out of his thoughts by biting down hard on his shoulder, and Link squeezed their dicks out of instinct.  He and Ravio moaned together, and Link thought about how sharp Ravio’s teeth were.  He was pretty sure he drew blood!  He tried to look over and see, but Ravio’s slick black hair and ears filled his vision- but he felt it welling up, knew what had happened, and poor Ravio hadn’t let go so it must be in his mouth!

It would be disgusting if it didn’t feel so good.

“What a pretty sight,” Sidon mused, apparently to himself, punctuating each word with a thrust more violent than the last.  He was picking up speed, and Ravio was clinging to Link for dear life, which meant Link was taking the momentum and scooting, just a little each time, along the carpet.  He wondered if it would leave a sore mark across his back.  He had gotten one on his knees once on this same rug.

Ravio finally opened his mouth and pushed himself up on his arms to throw his head back.  He looked positively panicked, and Link didn’t understand why, even after he started screaming.

“I’m cumming, I’m cumming, Sidon please please please,” he begged, and there was a hint of confusion in his voice.

“Yes, little bunnies, cum for me, as hard as you can,” Sidon reached up with one arm to hold Ravio by the throat, and the angle that Link scooted along the floor changed just a little.

Link wanted to stare between them, because he was confused too.  Ravio had started cumming when he screamed, but his dick was still twitching now- it was taking so long, at least twice the amount of time it normally did.  Ravio was only still up because Sidon held him; it was obvious that he was exhausted, yet he was  _ still  _ cumming.  Why was it taking so long?

He was boneless by the time it ended, lost in a haze, a glow that sparkled behind his pretty doll’s eyes.

“Happy, little bunny?” Sidon asked, and all motion stopped.

“So happy,” Ravio hummed.

Link watched Sidon reach between them, and heard the clack as he opened the clasp that had bound them together.  He tossed it onto the rug by Link’s head, and chuckled as he took in the sight of Ravio’s cum pooling on Link’s stomach.

“Oh, Link, darling, what’s wrong?” Sidon asked as he lifted Ravio- it was so easy for him to lift them, to dump Ravio on his side on the carpet where he rolled onto his back to bask in his post orgasmic cloud.

“Nothing?” Link said- but it was a question.  He didn’t know what Sidon was asking about, didn’t know what he wanted him to say, and the confusion made him uneasy.

Sidon wrapped a hand around Link’s erection and squeezed, and Link understood.  He had never been explicitly told that he was supposed to cum when Sidon told him to, but as he thought about it, this was the first time he hadn’t.  He had been so preoccupied with Ravio, and so amazed by him, that it just hadn’t happened.  He hadn’t been able to let go and give in.

“I don’t know,” he said, because it was true, more or less, and tilted his head with his confusion.

“Well, let me help you, darling,” Sidon tugged Link down, but Link clawed at the carpet because he hadn’t prepped at all, and he didn’t think Sidon realized that- they had both been focusing so much on Ravio, had both been preoccupied, but Sidon apparently didn’t recognize his panic, and Link shrieked in pain and alarm as Sidon welcomed himself inside until their bodies were flush.

“It hurts!” Link begged, “I didn’t…  I didn’t…”

“Nonsense, darling,” Sidon brushed aside his concerns, “I would never hurt you.  Just relax.”

He was still slick from before, had slicked himself up, and Link was thankful for that, but it wasn’t enough, and it was pain, real pain, and Sidon needed to understand that.

“I need more lube!” Link begged, “I didn’t use any!”

Sidon had to lean back to reach the tube, and Link clung to him.  It was the head, after all, that hurt the most going in, and if it was in there, it might as well  _ stay  _ in there.  Sidon smiled at his enthusiasm, and dripped a long, slick stream of the stuff down his shaft.  He swirled it around, and when he pushed in again, Link relaxed almost instantly.  It didn’t hurt anymore, and that meant he was ok.  He had never ripped yet, but he had a suspicion that such a thing was possible and wanted to avoid it.

“Is that better, darling?” Sidon asked, and Link nodded frantically.

“Much better.  Thank you, Sidon.” He had rolled a little onto his side, and Sidon pressed him until he was lying on his back.

“Look at me,” Sidon demanded, and Link did.  He watched Sidon lift him by the thighs and push until his knees were beside his head.  It hurt less to bend in half like this than it once had, but he still let out a moan that Sidon seemed to believe was one of pleasure.

His stomach clenched, and when that happened at times like these, Link fell into a pattern.  It felt familiar now, and almost right when he reached for Sidon’s wrists and begged.

“I love you, Sidon.  Please, please tell me that I’m yours, forever?”

“Oh, you will belong to me until the end of time, honeybunny,” Sidon growled, “I will never tire of you, never let anyone else have you, never leave you.  You are mine.  You will  _ always _ be mine!”

Link’s nerves tended to settle when Sidon said that, even if it was a little…  broken.  Wrong.

Good bunnies didn’t think those things about their owners.

But good bunnies could not tell lies.

And the incompatibility of those thoughts, of those two truths that could not coexist tore at Link, and he felt himself beginning to cry and did not try to stop.

Was it possible that he would always be a little bit bad because he belonged to Sidon and…  Sidon was a little bit bad?

No.

Yes?

No.

“Please,” Link begged, and he was not sure what he was begging for, but Sidon’s eyes glowed yellow in the firelight, and he smiled with all his teeth.  Beside them, Ravio had spread out on the carpet, watching with a small smile- until he caught Link’s expression, then his head tilted, and one ear flopped about halfway down: confusion.

Link was a good bunny, and Sidon loved him, would love him forever, and that was all that mattered.  Link threw back his head and closed his eyes, and Sidon’s didn’t correct him, even though he had wanted Link to look at him.

“Oh, you’re close, darling,” Sidon pushed harder against his thighs and his hands slid to the inside of his knees; Link had to arch against him or break his back, “I can read you like a book.  Cum for me, Link.   _ Now _ .”

And he did.

He must have looked as confused as Ravio.  It was so intense, so mind-blowingly intense that he watched as if disconnected, as if watching a movie.  It wasn’t like him- not that he had never come twice in a day before; that wasn’t uncommon the way Sidon treated him- but the way that it took so long.  He had been wrong about Ravio, it wasn’t that there was more of it, it was that the entire process took longer to do the same thing.  When he felt the orgasm building his balls had tried to draw up, closer to his body, to prepare for the inevitable moneyshot- but they couldn’t.  It didn’t hurt, but it was intense, not exactly sore but just…  the only word that came to mind was ‘more’.  It was ‘more’ sensation than he was used to.

Sidon watched the process with interest, and Link felt those hungry eyes on him the entire time.  There were so many things to feel that he thought that might be why he felt as if he was somewhere else- ‘behind his skin’ if that made sense.  His body didn’t know what to feel, so it felt a blissful nothing that was bright white around the edges, like a snowstorm, like a solstice card.  His ears buzzed with the sound of electricity, and he didn’t hear Sidon speaking to him, though he saw his lips moving.  He stared dumbly as Sidon pulled out of him and took his hands away, but Link kept his legs where they were.

He had thought Sidon had cum inside of him, but he realized he was wrong.  Sidon’s lips moved, teeth flashing as he said something else, and Link watched him orgasm in slow motion.  It came out hot and with great force, splattered all the way up his chest and on his face.  Link closed his eye on that side soas not to get anything in it, and opened his mouth.  He didn’t know why- it was instinctual, and in the haze seemed to be the right thing to do.  Sidon’s chest moved as if he was laughing, and on the next spurt Link could taste it.  He felt more hit his chest, and then nothing.

Which was fortunate, because he was exhausted.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new bunny finally arrives!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, 7 chapters in, the real story begins. This is the one I couldn't wait to post, you guys! I really hope everyone likes it!
> 
> As always, I want to thank MissGillette, who laid the foundation for this work with her wonderful AU that everyone should read! And who also read every chapter of this fic and gave me notes so that I could keep it in-line with her universe. She's amazing and yhall should read everything she's written.
> 
> Tips are always appreciated: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Link was confused by the way the next morning passed, but he was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.  He awoke, sated and happy without his new collar or Sidon, and he and Ravio took a long, hot bath together that they didn’t sleep through.  Sidon never called them to breakfast either, so when Link didn’t find him in the dining room, he began to grow worried.  Sidon never left him alone, not for more than a few hours- and even that had dwindled to nothing as they grew closer.  Link hadn’t had two full hours to himself since shortly after he left the shelter.

Ravio wanted to go play in the snow again, to spend some time in the fort, but the first few times he made the suggestion, Link didn’t hear him, too lost in his own thoughts.  He knew Sidon would never abandon him, but being alone without him was…  out of his comfort zone.  But he let Ravio lead him to his room and collect supplies from his desk- Ravio wanted to make posters to decorate the inside of the fort and dumped all of Link’s markers- which had, until that point, been arranged by color- into a bag with his sketchpad, then helped himself to Link’s closet to get dressed.

Link sat on his bed, kicking his feet and thinking about Sidon.

He didn’t like the idea of going outside without Sidon there, either.  The outside world was dangerous, full of monsters like the ones in his books.  Sidon had a bestiary, he had read to Link from it, and though Link didn’t understand all the scientific words, he understood enough to know that a bunny wouldn’t stand a chance against something like a wild lynel.  Sidon had neglected to mention that civilization had taken over much of the wildlands, and the animals that roamed there were very near extinct.  Sidon never told him that the chances of one getting over the gate and coming into the garden- or coming near a Hylian town at all- were so slim as to be almost nonexistent.

So he was, reluctantly, outside, lying on his stomach in the snow, watching Ravio destroy his yellow marker because he had done an outline in black and hadn’t waited for it to dry properly before coloring it in.  The sign he was making, when it was finished, would say “Ravio & Link”, with small, stylized  pictures of their faces on either side.  Link’s said “Welcome” in green and was decorated with a border of different flowers.

The cold didn’t really bother them inside the fort, which was something Link hadn’t thought about beforehand, but that he was thankful for.  Ravio sat up on his knees with a grin and held the picture up for Link to see.  Link smiled at it, because it was, for a bunny, a good likeness.  He and Ravio, Link realized, had similar faces.

His ears perked up at the sound of a car in the driveway, and he backed further from the door.  It  _ could  _ be Sidon returning, or it  _ could  _ be someone else, another stranger like Mr Yuga.  If it was though, it was likely the servants would turn them away.  Unless they were overpowered.

The glass door to the sitting room slid open, and Sidon’s voice rang out from the porch.

“Boys?  Are you out here?” Sidon asked.

Link, who had more or less finished his sign anyway, bolted from the fort toward him and lept into his arms.  Sidon had apparently not expected that reaction, and dropped the bag he was holding to catch him.

“Darling,” Sidon laughed as Link nuzzled into his chest, “Honestly, I was gone less than two hours.  Did you miss me?”

“I missed you, Sidon,” Link said to his chest, “I love you.  I get scared without you.”

“Darling, you were sleeping so soundly, and the two of you looked so cute I couldn’t bear to wake you.  I had to get something for our new guest.  Hillie left me some messages last night that they’ll arrive around luncheon today.  Apparently the elder Mr Dragmire has been trying to leave his father’s estate since he arrived.  We have very little time to prepare for their arrival.”

Link nodded.  He was excited to take care of the new bunny, the one who had just gotten out of the vet, who would be depressed beyond words because his owner just died, who would be torn apart inside because he had hurt a Hylian, who needed to be nursed back to health and sanity.

“I need you, and Ravio if you think he can help you, to go to your room and clean out anything that could be dangerous.  Anything.  Take out any scissors, any rope, anything that looks like it could possibly be forged into a weapon.” Sidon explained as he set Link on his feet.

Link nodded, and understood instantly.  A bunny in that mindset could want to hurt themselves.  Link had never gotten that bad; he had only refused help and waited for death, but he had been abandoned by an owner who was probably safe and happy without him.  This new bunny was coming from an owner who had  _ died _ .

“Ravio!” Sidon yelled, and Ravio poked his head out of the fort.  Link thought he looked adorable, like a painting, his little black ears sticking up against all the snow.

“You’ll be happy to know,” Sidon told him, “That Hillie is coming back to have lunch with us, and you’ll be going home.”

“Today!?” Ravio shouted, scampered out too quickly, and fell face first in the snow in his excitement.

“Yes, they’re already on the road; they left early this morning while you were sleeping.” Sidon smiled at his antics as Ravio pulled himself to his feet and closed the distance between them.  

He hugged first Sidon, then Link, and exclaimed, “Thank you so much for taking care of me!”

“You’re welcome,” Sidon kissed the top of his head and tugged his hood from where it had fallen when his ears shot up.  “Now go inside and warm up.  Link might need your help.”

 

Link was amazed at how quickly Ravio worked to pack his things.  He didn’t know that Ravio had any kind of work ethic; he had certainly hidden it well the entire time Link knew him, but he managed to squish everything he had brought with him back into his suitcase in the span of a few minutes.  Link, meanwhile, took the first of the boxes Sidon had given him, and walked around looking for anything that a bunny could hurt themselves on.  He honestly didn’t have much that he considered dangerous; most of Link’s possessions were books.  Most of the things he classified as ‘dangerous’ were art supplies.  Still, he was thorough, and it took him nearly until lunchtime to get his room cleaned out and everything tucked safely away in Sidon’s bedroom for storage until this new bunny proved he could be trusted.

He wanted to make a good impression on this new bunny and his owner, to make Sidon look good, and, he was beginning to be more comfortable admitting, because he was vain.  Ravio wanted to help him pick out an outfit, and Link humored him, because Ravio did have fairly good taste, and they settled on something that resembled a suit with a vest.  Link thought he looked dapper as he rolled up his sleeves and fluffed out the ruffles that fell in waves from his neck in loo of a tie.  It was the sort of old-fashioned glamour that Sidon liked himself and liked to see Link in- and the vest hugged him, not nearly as tight as the corset but…  any port in a storm.

Sidon stood in the doorway glancing from Link to his phone.  He looked worried when he said, “Beautiful, darling, but go pull your hair up, please?  Low, at the nape of your neck, with a ribbon that matches the vest.”

Link nodded, paused to hug Sidon in the doorway, and ran to the bathroom to fix his hair.

 

Hillie was apparently sending Sidon constant updates about their progress, so that by the time Link heard the car in the driveway he was standing with Ravio in the foyer.  Sidon came in a few seconds later in long strides, almost as if he was jogging, looking far more regal than Link thought any mortal had a right to.

But he had to focus.  There was going to be a new, scared, injured bunny, probably so timid that he couldn’t look Link in the eye.  Link remembered how scared he had been when he had first come to stay with Sidon.  The house was so big it was easy to get overwhelmed, so Link had stayed in his room for days on end, huddled up on the bed and avoiding all contact.  He hadn’t said a word for weeks, too timid and frightened to do anything.  And this bunny would probably be even worse!  He had been through more than Link had, which is why Link planned to gently coax him out of his shell, to read to him- he  _ knew  _ he could find the voice to do it, because it would be helping someone who really needed it.  He knew he could be kind, patient, and brave if it was for a good cause, if it was to-

Link was snapped out of his thoughts by an ear splitting scream.

“WELL HILDA CAN GO FUCK HERSELF!” An unfamiliar voice shook the estate, and Sidon opened the door.  Link and Ravio rushed to his side to see what was going on as Sidon stepped outside in his immaculate clothes with no coat, gloves, or protection from the cold.

“Do you need some help?” Sidon asked the people gathered around the car.

Link recognized two of them.  The lady standing by the open door was Ravio’s owner, Hilda, looking worried, and the younger man bent at the waist halfway inside the car was her friend Yuga.  The huge mountain of a man with the scowl was new to him.

“Move boy,” The man demanded.

“We’re fine,” Hilda told Sidon, “You’ll catch your death out here without a coat.  We’ll only be a moment.”

“Dad,” Yuga said with a tone of exasperation, “he’s just scared.”

“I’ll give him something to be scared of,” The man mumbled in annoyance.

“Take me home!” the voice inside the car demanded, “I won’t stay here!  Take me back!  Where is my master!?  Where is Demise!?”

“Still dead,” The large man answered with what Link thought was a criminal lack of tact, then grabbed Yuga’s coat and yanked him back so hard he stumbled, “I told you to move, boy.”

Yuga almost fell in the snow, but steadied himself and regained his footing.

“Master Ganondorf, please,” the voice shrieked, “Don’t make me do this!  Take me home!  Take me back to Demise!”

“Demise is dead, Ghirahim!” The man said as if he was tired of saying it.

“No!  He can’t be!  He’s not!  No!  I’m not going!  I’m not going!” The cries of protest grew in volume as the man, apparently Master Ganondorf, stepped out of the car carrying the most beautiful bunny Link had ever seen.  He really did look like the bunnies in the movies, perfect skin, perfect hair, tight, beautiful clothes- he was breathtaking, with one glaring flaw.  One of his long, beautiful ears abruptly ended about halfway where it should, as if it had been sliced clean off.  His gorgeous face was contorted in panic, and he was kicking, screaming, and clawing at the car door in an attempt to stay inside.

“Ghirahim,” Yuga tried to explain, “Hilda says her friend is very nice; he’s good with bunnies.  He worked with someone very much like you-”

“FUCK HILDA!  FUCK YOU!  AND FUCK HER FRIEND!” The bunny screamed and Link’s shoulders tensed up.  The only context he had ever heard the word ‘fuck’ used was when Sidon made him say it.  He knew what it meant and it made no sense in this context.

“I thought you were supposed to be a genetically engineered purebred,” Ganondorf snarled as he pried Ghirahim’s hands off the door.  That seemed to strike a nerve in the bunny, and his ears, which had been thrown up in alarm, flattened to his head.

“You’re…  you’re right.  I’m behaving…” Ghirahim admitted, then snapped, “Master, I’m under a great deal of stress right now!  Please,” He clung to Ganondorf’s coat instead of the car, “Please take me home!  I’ll be good!  Don’t leave me here!  I beg of you!  Take me home to Demise!”

“What part of ‘Demise is dead’ is this thing not understanding?” Ganondorf asked Hilda, “I thought they were supposed to be intelligent.”

“He’s in denial,” Hilda explained, “It’s understandable.”  She stepped closer and ran a hand gently through Ghirahim’s hair, “Sweetheart, we want to help you.  If we left you in Lorule, if we took you back, the police would take you into evidence.  We had to pull a lot of strings to keep that from happening.  You hurt Hylia very badly.”

“I’ll kill her!” Ghirahim snapped and dug his gloved fingertips into Ganondorf’s coat with even more force, “If I ever see her again I’ll rip out her heart!  She hurt Demise!  I’ll make her pay for what she did to my master!  I’ll DESTROY her!”

“By all three goddesses can we please get this thing somewhere where I don’t have to listen to it!?” Ganondorf snarled.

“Please,” Sidon pushed Link and Ravio out of the doorway, “Bring him inside”.

“She will deafen herself with the sounds of her own screams!” Ghirahim shouted, “She will rue the day she ever decided to cross my master!  She will pray for death!”

“I know I rue the day I met you,” Ganondorf said and lowered his voice, “Now listen you overpriced sex toy, you are alive, right now, because of my mercy, do you understand that?  Do not cross me again.  Do not fail me.  Do not push me, or I will not hesitate to send you in for evidence and have you put down when you are not longer  _ useful _ .  Do you understand me?”

Ghirahim looked up at him as if that was something he  _ wanted  _ to hear, which made Link, who was peeking out from the doorway again and couldn’t hear Mr Dragmire’s voice, think he had said something completely different.

“You are going to stay here and learn from this nice lady’s friend, and if he can’t rehabilitate you, can’t stop you from  _ clawing open people’s chests _ , then I am  _ not  _ taking you into my home.  Do you understand me?  You are a danger to yourself and others.  You will do everything Mr Ruta tells you without question.  You had better understand me, because your life depends on it.”

“I want to go back to Demise,” Ghirahim said after a long silence, “He’s my master.  I love him.  I was made for him, created for him, I live for him.  Please, please take me back.  I love him so much my heart aches.”

“That’s not heartbreak, that’s probably still the stab wound,” Ganondorf told him as they crossed the threashold.  “You’re Sidon.” He said to Sidon.

“Yes,” Sidon said, staring at Ghirahim.

“My boy’s friend there says you can fix this mess,” Ganondorf told him, “She seems to like these things.  I don’t get it.  I never saw the appeal.  If I didn’t have such a soft heart I would have left him, but the damn thing seems to have taken a liking to me.  People say I look like my father.”

Yuga held the door open for Hilda and she stepped inside, and in an instant Ravio’s arms were around her and his face was buried in her bosom.

“I missed you so much!” He said as he squeezed.

“Well, my little Link was heartbroken when he heard about your situation,” Sidon motioned toward Link, and when he didn’t move fast enough, grabbed him by the shoulders to pull him over so Ganondorf could look at him.

“Master you can’t really be thinking of leaving me here!” Ghirahim said, aghast, “Not with this man and a  _ toy _ .  You have to take me home, take me back!  I can’t bear it!  I’ll die!”

“Well, you can die here,” Ganondorf shrugged, “Will you please take this thing from me?”

Sidon reached out to take him, and Ganondorf had to pry his hands free from where he still clung to his coat.

“Is it against Hylian customs to offer your guests a drink?” Ganondorf asked.

“Oh, no, of course not,” Sidon was obviously taken aback, and his patience was wearing thin as Ghirahim squirmed, apparently mindful of what Ganondorf had said about not hurting anyone else, but still very unhappy to be in Sidon’s arms.

“Put me down, servant!  Do not touch me!” Ghirahim commanded, as if he were in a position to do so, and Link thought his mouth may have fallen open in shock.  Did he forget what he was?  What Sidon was?

Sidon was staring at him as if he also thought Ghirahim had lost his mind, but he wasn’t going to punish him in front of everyone.  That would come later, and the gleam in his eye made Link think that it would be…  he almost felt a twinge of sympathy for the bunny, but he knew that this is why he was here.  He had to learn.

“Link, darling,” Sidon said with ice in his voice, “go into my study and get the shopping bag you’ll find there, and bring it to the dining room, please.”

Link nodded, and rushed off.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yhall ever play the game "Bloody Roar"?
> 
> Here's some fun facts about rabbits: They're known for their muscle strength- they're almost pure muscle, making the meat gamey, and are known to burrow through solid ground, chew through wooden and metal-wire fences to get into gardens, swim up to boats and straight up attack then-president Jimmy Carter, and let out the most ear-piercing shrieks you have ever heard in your life. Google a rabbit screaming. It'll haunt your nightmares. Like most prey animals with a variety of predators, they've evolved to flee in the face of danger (moving at around 70km/45mph) and if that fails, to fight for their lives and have been recorded on video killing dogs, cats, and snakes.
> 
> Rabbits were a common symbol used by medieval knights, and several manuscripts feature depictions of attack rabbits known by historians as "The Rabbit's Revenge" (this is the inspiration for the Attack Rabbit of Monty Python fame). Their violent nature tends to be downplayed in contemporary depictions, but there are notable exceptions (like the trickster Bugs Bunny). 
> 
> Sidon, I believe, knows none of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ran out of room, but I think I got my point across. I've always been interested by this weird idea that people today seem to have that rabbits are gentle and innocent. They've been used as symbols for centuries by various cultures, and it's only extremely recently that we see this idea. Before they were symbolic of a number of things: speed, cunning, tricksters, violence, revenge, stupidity (a specific kind of stupidity that comes from getting too arrogant, like the one that raced a turtle or the one who lost his tail in Cherokee mythology), sexuality/fertility, pestilence, etc.
> 
> There's an underlying idea that one should never mistake meekness for weakness, and I feel like our contemporary culture does this pretty frequently, ignoring the symbology and stories of the past. This is always dangerous.
> 
> I really wanted to get this chapter published yesterday, but I didn't get the chance. I was traveling, out of town, and by the time I got home I just wanted to collapse and sleep for about 7 years. But it's here now, and shit is going to do down. 
> 
> As always, I want to thank MissGillette, and I want to ask that everyone go and read her story if you've somehow managed to make it here without doing that first.
> 
> Also as always, any tips are greatly appreciated: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Link rushed toward the dining room clutching the bag as fast as his little legs could carry him, following the sound of screaming.  He was concerned for the new bunny, Ghirahim, but his speed was not for him.  He knew the voice that had filled his home with terror, and it was so loud and real that it still rang in his ears as he burst into the room.

Hilda was pressing what seemed to be an entire wad of cloth napkins to Ravio’s neck, and they were soaked with his blood.  Link ran to him first, but he turned at the sound of Sidon’s voice.

“Link!  Here!  Now!” He demanded, and Link was horrified by what he saw.

Mr Ganondorf had wrestled Ghirahim to the floor and had his hands pinned behind his back.  Link was torn between Ravio’s whispered chant, “ _ I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, _ ” and Ghirahim’s bloodstained face.  Had he bitten him?  Bitten him so badly that he was gushing!?

Yuga rushed back into the room as Sidon jerked the bag from Link’s hands.

“Sidon’s driver has the car for you and I called the number you gave me.  The vet is expecting him,” he said, speaking quickly, “I am so sorry, Hillie, I had no idea he would-”

“Then you are a fool!” Ganondorf snapped at him, “He almost killed a human!  What the hell made you think he wouldn’t attack one of those stupid sex rabbits!?  I told you all this was a bad idea!”

“He shouldn’t have tried to hug him,” Hilda said, then she turned back to Ravio, and spoke much quieter, “Shss, darling, it’s alright.  It’s probably nothing a few potions won’t fix.  By tomorrow it will be like none of it ever happened.”  But there was a look in her eyes that worried Link.  He thought she may just be trying to keep Ravio calm.  He wouldn’t…  he wouldn’t die, would he?

“I should go, Sidon.” She said, cuddling Ravio and keeping the pressure on his neck, “I’m sorry.”

“Yes,” Sidon said as he ripped a box from the shopping bag, “You should.”

She caught the worry in Link’s eyes as she said, “I’ll call you.”

“Thank you,” Sidon said as he tore the box open, without looking at her, and without trying to hide the anger he had been smoldering all along.  He just didn’t have time for it.  The thing was here now, in his house, and he had to deal with it.

“I told that toy not to touch me!” Ghirahim snarled as if it was a defense.

Hilda led Ravio carefully, but his steps were uneven and a little wonky, as if he was drunk, so Yuga picked him up, but still Hilda never let go, never let up on the pressure she had at his throat.  Ravio gave Link a pathetic wave, and Link waved back.  Ravio was going to be fine, but Link really should have been nicer to him while he was staying with them as their guest.

“Hold him down,” Sidon said to Ganondorf.

“What a brilliant idea,” Ganondorf snarled at him, as if he thought Sidon was stupid, and Link felt his dislike for the man growing.

“I mean his head,” Sidon corrected, and Link commended his infinite patience, “I’d rather not be bitten.”

“You will not touch me!” Ghirahim snarled at him, but Ganondorf held his arms behind his back with a knee, and grabbed him by the hair to keep him completely motionless.

“What is that?” Ganondorf asked as Sidon clasped the thing from the box around Ghirahim’s neck.  It looked like a collar, but was made of metal and covered in etchings of runes that Link didn’t recognize.  It sealed in the back with a loud click and the turn of a key that Sidon slid in his pocket.

“You will not touch me, servant!  You take this thing off of me and maybe I will-” Ghirahim began but Sidon cut him off.

“Get off of him,” he warned, chuckled, and added, “I should say, ‘clear’.”

Ganondorf stepped off and smiled for the first time, as if they had just told a joke, but Link barely had time to register it before the runes on the collar lit up, and Ghirahim screamed.  It was at least as loud as Ravio’s had been, and Link pulled his ears tight to his head trying to block the sound.  It would haunt his dreams.  Electricity shot from the collar and Link could see it travel up and down Ghirahim’s body.  It happened too fast for him to connect it to the remote in Sidon’s hand.

It was over in an instant, and Ghirahim slowly got his arms under him, and shoved himself into a sitting position.

“You will regret that, you pathetic worm!” He hissed at Sidon, “I am Lord Ghirahim, and my master will destroy you when he finds out what you’ve done to me.”

“Let’s try that again with a little more respect, why don’t we?” Sidon asked.

“I am going to tear out your eyeballs and feed them to you in a delicious stew!” Ghirahim snapped, and shoved himself to his feet.

He screamed, clutched at the collar, and went right back to the floor.

“‘Lord Ghirahim’?” Sidon asked Ganondorf.

“He has a pedigree a mile long,” Ganondorf explained while Ghirahim tried to catch his breath, “They have fancy names.  They’re supposed to be better or something.  I don’t know.  My father was strange.  I think it was mostly bragging rights.  That little monster is worth a fortune.”

“I’ll kill you,” Ghirahim sneered, though he didn’t try to make it to his feet this time.  He was braced on the tips of his fingers, looking down at the floor and seething with rage, “You have to sleep sometime, Hylian.  You cannot possibly keep up this pathetic mockery of power twenty four hours a day!  I will find you, and I will paint the walls with your blood!”

He screamed again, and Link didn’t understand why he kept saying those things, kept being defiant.  He watched the electricity move over his body and wanted to tell him that no matter what he felt, he should just tell them what they wanted to hear.  Then the pain would go away!  They were trying to help him.  He was being bad- Link had never see a bunny behave so badly!  He didn’t really know how to process it.

“My name,” Sidon said calmly when Ghirahim’s muscles seemed to have unseized, “Is ‘Mr Ruta’.  I will be training you, and I will expect a certain level of respect.”

“When Demise finds out-”

“Demise is dead, Ghirahim.” Sidon said firmly, “And I hate that for you, I really do.  I know it hurts.  But you must accept it.  No amount of wishing will bring him back.  Now, please be a good bunny.  I don’t have to keep shocking you, it can all end if you can prove to me that you have some manners.”

“Don’t let a lucky victory give you a swollen ego!  Were it not for this insidious device you would stand no chance against me!” Ghirahim clawed at the collar.

“That one is so well behaved,” Ganondorf said, nodding at Link, “Ghirahim, you’re scaring the hell out of him.”

“I would think he may be frightened every waking moment!” Ghirahim snapped, “His master is a sadist!  Someone take me home!”  He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and clung to Ganondorf’s arm, “Please, Master Ganondorf, please.  Just take me home.  Take me back to Demise.”

Link stared at him from the safety he had gained hiding behind Sidon, and everything about him hurt his heart.  Ganondorf’s expression softened a little, and he reached a hand down to cup Ghirahim’s face.

“You have to do this,” he explained more calmly than Link had seen him act so far, “You have to learn how to be around people again.  You can’t keep throwing tantrums, biting people and other…  by the goddess I wish you creatures were called something other than ‘bunnies’- that sound ridiculous to say.  But you cannot be this dangerous.  Morally or legally.”

Ghirahim clung to him and Ganondorf sighed.  He turned back to Sidon.

“Did that girl tell you what happened?” He asked.

“I got the jist,” Sidon moved to the table to pour a glass of brandy, and cautiously handed it to Ganondorf.

“We’re fairly certain my father was murdered,” Ganondorf said, reluctantly petting Ghirahim’s hair.  Link watched how it stuck to his hand and thought of the electricity.  He wondered if it would shock him to touch him, but didn’t act on the impulse because, unlike Ravio, he wasn’t quite so stupid.

“She told me.  That’s simply awful.  I can’t imagine how you must feel, coming fresh from something like that.” Sidon pulled out a chair and motioned for Link to sit, so he did.  There was no way he would be eating though, and his eyes were still locked on Ghirahim.

“Ghirahim said that he saw his ex-wife stab him.  That’s why he attacked her.  He’s even the one who made the 911 call.  He really is very intelligent, he’s just…  I don’t know what’s wrong with him.  I can’t have him like this.” Ganondorf explained.

“Ex-wife?” Sidon asked, wishing that his guests would sit down.

“Hylia is a monster!” Ghirahim said, “She hurt him!  I wasn’t just going to let her hurt my master!  And now everyone is acting as if I’ve done something wrong!”

“Everyone is acting as if he’s a dangerous animal,” Ganondorf explained, “Because he is.  Defense or not he did almost kill someone.  Listen, Sidon, here’s the deal.”

Sidon nodded to the table, hoping they would take the hint.

“The trial, unless they push it back, will be held in a month.  I don’t know what kind of evidence they have yet, but they questioned Ghirahim over and over and he hasn’t changed his story.  I don’t think he can.  The vet we took him to said that they didn’t know how to lie.”

_ A good bunny never lies.   _ Link thought.

“But it’s still going to be a pet’s word against a human’s.  Quite frankly, I would love to see her go away forever for this.” Ganondorf finished.

Sidon, in his position sitting down, extended a hand, and Ghirahim looked at him as if he had gone mad.

“Listen, pretty bunny,” Sidon said carefully, “I don’t think you were wrong.  Link and I know you’re hurting, don’t we, darling?”

Link nodded.

“You’re not a bad bunny, Ghirahim,” Sidon assured him, “But you’ve been through bad things.  We’re going to teach you how to behave again, and then you’ll have a new forever home.”

“I don’t want a new home,” Ghirahim spat, “Your promises mean nothing to me.  I think that you are a vile person, and if I am to stay here it will be completely against my will.  Do not try to pretend compassion now.  You should have led with that if you wanted me, or anyone of any sense, to be fooled.”

“Ghirahim, sit down,” Ganondorf demanded, “No one else is going to touch you.  That little thing hasn’t said one word since you got here!  Not one word!  You’re being a terrible guest.”

“If not for the situation,” Ghirahim tugged at the collar, “My manners would be impeccable, master.”  He looked at Link, took in his startled expression, and something seemed to change within him.  “I got a little carried away there, didn’t I?  I don’t deal well with…  complications.  It’s a character flaw of mine.”

Link nodded.

“You look disgusting,” Ganondorf told him, “clean that blood off your face.”

“I don’t have the ability, master,” Ghirahim motioned to the table, “How, exactly, would you have me do that?”

“Well I guess they took all the napkins,” Ganondorf snarled as he hunted around the table.

“Can he be trusted to go to the bathroom and wash his face there?” Sidon asked.

“My best guess would be ‘no’,” Ganondorf answered flatly.

“Master, you wound me,” Ghirahim said with more theatrics, took the bottle of brandy from the table, and poured himself a glass.  Link stared at him in open mouthed wonder as he knocked back the entire snifter as if it was a shotglass.

“Mr Dragmire,” Sidon said, “Allow me to show you both to the bathroom.  Then we can come back and have a nice lunch.  We have…  much to discuss.”

Ghirahim’s complete personality flip had thrown Link worse than his temper tantrum.  He hadn’t expected his reaction to be so loud and violent, but once it started, he could predict, more or less, where it was going.  He was worried about Ravio, but more than that, he was now worried about living with someone who could switch their attitude on a dime.  If he could come back from violence that quickly, how quickly could he turn?

He sat alone at the table with his thoughts and listened to the voices of the men in the hall, the sound of running water, and reminded himself that Sidon would be there, and so far, Sidon had handled Ghirahim excellently.  Link didn’t regret trying to help him, but he deeply regretted that Ravio got hurt.  Sidon had only allowed Ghirahim in the house at all because of him, and now Ravio had been hurt because Ghirahim was here.

But Ghirahim had been through so much.  He hurt so badly.  And Link completely understood why he wouldn’t want to be touched.  He also understood why he didn’t want to admit that his master was dead, was never coming back for him, but he had to!  If he didn’t he would be crazy forever!

Link wondered what had happened to his ear.  He had been told his chest had been cut open, and thought that both might be the work of the woman with the knife, the one who stabbed Ghirahim’s master to death.  If someone tried to kill Sidon, would Link protect him?  Would he fight for him?  Link had always considered himself a coward, and he knew that no good bunny would ever hurt a human.  They weren’t made for fighting.

But he had also never been in the situation, and never had something worth fighting for.

When the three of them came back, Ghirahim looked sleepy and unsteady on his feet.  Link wondered if it was the alcohol or if they had drugged him.  He looked a little like Ravio had when they had sedated him to prevent his fit, but like Ravio had said then, one could not stay sedated forever.

Sidon’s phone rang, and he answered it quickly with an energetic, “Hillie?”  A pause, then, “Oh thank the goddesses.  Link, Ravio will be fine.  A few stitches and a few days to recover, and perhaps, Hillie says, a new appreciation of personal space.”

Link hopped down, pulled Sidon’s sleeve, and nervously whispered, “I’m glad.  Tell him I’m so, so sorry.”

“Link said he was sorry to see the injury, and he’s glad to hear of the recovery,” Sidon said and kissed Link on the top of his head like he normally did, earning him an odd look from Ganondorf.

Ghirahim clung to Ganondorf and stared at Link with an expression that Link didn’t really understand.  It wasn’t the anger he had had before he had washed his face, it wasn’t the disgust that he had when he called him a ‘toy’, and it wasn’t the playful, sparkling eyes he sometimes got from Ravio.  It made him uneasy.

Ganondorf waited politely for Sidon to end his conversation before he spoke.

“Despite how I may come off, I am glad your friend’s little…  Din’s eyes I hate to say ‘bunny’...  is alright.  I don’t dislike them.  I just don’t have time for this right now.” 

“Speaking of time,” Sidon poured himself a glass of wine as he spoke, “I…  was not aware I would only have a month to work with him.  You need to understand, Mr Dragmire, that I am not sure why Hilda volunteered me to do this for you.  It took me six months with Link; I had to be slow and gentle.  Right darling?”

Link nodded.  He remembered their six-month anniversary in a sort of haze, a fuzzy memory he could treasure forever.  He hadn’t really learned how to drink yet, and had gone a little overboard.

“I don’t have six months.” Ganondorf said simply.  “I don’t have to tell you who I am, who my father is.  This is a very high profile case, Mr Ruta, and I don’t think I have to tell you that there will be,” he paused, choosing his words carefully, “Repercussions.  For you people, for your lifestyle, if he gets in that courtroom and completely loses his shit.  You understand that that is what I need from him, right?  I don’t want to fuck him.  I want him to be able to testify, in front of a full courtroom, with lights and sounds and people, and a defense lawyer who is likely to be far more rude than either of us can imagine.”

He took a long look at Ghirahim, who was calmly eating his salad as if he had never tried to rip out anyone’s throat.

“Hylia will be in the courtroom.  She’s the defendant, after all.”

The mention of her name seemed to flip a switch.

“I’ll kill her if I see her!  I’ll rip out her throat!  I’ll make a decorative boa from her intestines!”  He seethed, “She hurt my master!  I’ll kill her!  I’LL KILL HER!”

“It’s so much worse if he sees a picture,” Ganondorf had to shout over Ghirahim’s chant, and Ghirahim had dug his gloved fingers into his own hair, pulling it out by the roots.  Link hated to watch him do it- not only did it look like it hurt, but his hair was so pretty…  It was silver, the color of the moon in a clear winter’s night, and had been perfectly smooth before the electricity had made some of it stand on end.

“She’s all over the news.  I wouldn’t let him watch the news.” Ganondorf continued.

“I can’t do this in a month.  It can’t be done.” Sidon said more firmly.  “I don’t think anyone could.”

“Well, I don’t know what else to do with him.  Maybe get your friend to help you.  I can pay you, of course.” Ganondorf shrugged.

Ghirahim’s rage had grown stronger than he could control, and he was leaning over the table, still gripping his hair, and glaring at nothing at all.  He had stopped speaking, and Link was afraid of the emotion in his red eyes.

“I don’t need money,” Sidon said, “There is more to life than acquiring wealth.”

“Well,” Ganondorf said, and the word was heavy in a way Link didn’t understand.  It hung in the air longer than it needed to, and sat heavy around them as if it was a physical thing.  “Figure out what you do need, Mr Ruta.  I’m a powerful figure, in this realm or any other.”

“I’ll…” the sleeve of Ganondorf’s suitjacket slipped, and Sidon caught sight of the mark there, on the back of his hand.  A powerful man indeed.  “I’ll try, Mr Dragmire.  I can’t guarantee results.”

“I applaud any effort at this point,” Ganondorf said, and stood, “Thank you for the meal.  We’ve been giving him stamina potions and sedatives, which seems like an odd combination, but the vet says it isn’t that he needs to move.  He needs it along with the healing potion to grow new skin.  You should see his chest.  I think she tried to carve out his heart.  You have my contact information.  I should be going.  I have a cluster to unfuck.  I can show myself out.”

“You’re not…  you don’t…   _ really _ intend to leave me here?” Ghirahim asked as if he still believed that this was all a dream he could conceivably wake up from.

Ganondorf sighed, and went through a few awkward motions that were obviously an intimidation, a mimicry of what he had seen Sidon do.  He rubbed Ghirahim behind the ears and kissed the top of his head.

“Give in to the potion, kid.” He said softly, “Close your eyes and give in and you won’t have to see me leave.”

“Master Ganondorf, please!  Master do not leave me here!”  He stood and clung to Ganondorf, but the human was able to pull his hands away easily by the wrists.  He took a few steps away, and when Ghirahim tried to follow again, he stumbled.  Link understood now.  The reason he had never seen someone move so strangely is because he had never seen a bunny drunk  _ and  _ drugged at the same time.  Ghirahim was awake out of sheer force of will, and when he went down, he couldn’t get back up.

“Thank you, Mr Ruta,” Ganondorf laid a hand on Sidon’s shoulder, and squeezed when he said, “I suppose I’ll owe you a favor.”

He stopped to pet Link, the way he had seen Sidon pet him, behind his ears.  Link hated strangers touching him, and shrank down in his seat; his ears folded down flat on instinct, and he whimpered in discomfort.  Ganondorf drew his hand away with a confused sort of sound, and Link heard the heels of his shoes clacking as he left the room.

Sidon looked at the bunny, passed out on his floor, and thought of the concept of time, of deadlines, in a sort of detached way.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link tries to comfort the new bunny, and we get a flashback from Ghirahim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't read over this, I'm admitting that right now. Normally, I reread these before I post them, but life is really hectic for me in meatspace right no, and MissG can tell you that I've not been online, at all except for work, in the past 2-3 weeks. However, MissGillet did read it and didn't tell me to change anything, so I think it's alright. I'll try to go over it tomorrow and see if there are any mistakes or anything.
> 
> As always, I want to thank MissGillette, who continues to write great Zelda fics like the one that inspired this one, and who reads my chapters and gives me feedback so I can stay true to her AU! Yhall should really go check out her work if you haven't already.
> 
> And, I've got a tip jar, if anyone wants to throw any money my way: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

“I will be right outside the door, watching the security camera on my phone.  I think this is a good idea, but if he does anything to you, you run away from him.  I don’t want you touching him if I have to shock him.” Sidon said.  He had knelt to be on Link’s level, and Link nodded.

“I can talk to him,” Link said with confidence, “I’ve been practicing.  I can do it.  He’ll talk to me.  We’re both bunnies.”  He looked away and said in a small voice, “I wish he hadn’t hurt Ravio…  but I still think we can help him.”

“You’re too precious and wholesome, darling,” Sidon sighed, and ran his knuckles along Link’s cheek, “The world does not deserve you.”

Link sank himself into this affection.  Praise so pure, about him specifically, about his personality, was rare, and he cherished it.

Then Sidon kissed him, just once, gently, on the lips.

“I’ll be able to see and hear you.  I absolutely do not want you alone with him.  If he messes this up, he won’t get a second chance.”

Link nodded, then turned away from Sidon and slowly turned the knob.  This was, after all, his room, and he should be able to go in whenever he wanted.  But they had tucked Ghirahim into his bed to let him sleep off the drugs, and discussed the best thing to do with him.  It was pretty obvious to Link that Ghirahim hated Sidon.  He thought that it would be easier for him to talk to him, because they were both bunnies, and because Link wasn’t scary at all.  He didn’t threaten him or hurt him in any way, and he wouldn’t touch him like Ravio.

Sidon had told Link that he wouldn’t have him harmed.  He put Link’s safety above Ghirahim’s, and that his order, on that if nothing else, had no room for disobedience.  Link would not be hurt.  Ghirahim would not hurt him.  Not with the collar’s remote in Sidon’s hand.

The room was quiet when Link walked in.  Ghirahim was awake, but he was loopy, and it took him a second to control his body well enough to look at Link.  He was trying to get his boots from where they were by the bed and put them on, but he was obviously still feeling the effects of something, because he lacked the coordination he had shown earlier when he had been clawing at the car and fighting off grown men.

“Oh,” he said in an interested sort of way, “It’s that pretty little toy.  Come in, pretty thing, I won’t bite you.  They…  they roofied me, I think.”

Link mustered up his courage.  He could do this.  He had practiced.  He had been looking forward to this since he found out Ghirahim was coming to stay with them.  Take a deep breath.  Inhale.  Exhale.  Speak to him.  Open your mouth and speak to him.

“Do I make you nervous, pretty bunny?” Ghirahim asked, “Or are you always nervous?  You aren’t wearing one of these infernal collars, but there are bruises on that pretty neck, aren’t there?”  He gave up on his boots and looked into the mirrored doors of Link’s closet.  “I used to be pretty.”

Link didn’t understand that comment.  Ghirahim was the most gorgeous bunny he had ever seen.  He needed to get his shit together and talk to him.  Take a deep breath.  Calm down.  Ghirahim is upset.  His master is dead.  He needs a friend right now.

“Link,” he said quietly, “Is my name.  I think you’re beautiful.”

“Your opinion, I’m afraid,” Ghirahim said running the tips of his fingers over his damaged ear, “Means nothing to me.  Come here, Link.”

Link hesitated for a moment, and then turned to move towards his desk.

“I actually wanted to make a card, for Ravio.  The bunny you bit.  He’s…  he’s my best friend and…  he had to go to the vet.” Link said as he opened a drawer and took out a stack of thick construction paper.

“I told him not to touch me,” Ghirahim lounged on Link’s bed and watched him, “I didn’t want him to touch me.  I have a right to decide who gets to touch me.”

“He likes hugs,” Link tried to explain, “He’s just really friendly, he-”

“Fuck his ‘hugs’!” Ghirahim snapped.

“You’re upset,” Link said as he placed a box of crayons on the paper and picked it all up.  He took a single step closer to the bed, and when Ghirahim didn’t move, he took another, cautious, careful, on guard.

“I’m miserable,” Ghirahim lamented, “My life is a nightmare from which I am unable to awaken.  I keep thinking that…  perhaps it is, all of it since that night, a dream, and I will wake up in my bed, in his arms.”

“It’s not,” Link said, and sat at the foot of the bed, as far as he could get from Ghirahim while still sharing a piece of furniture with him.

“That sounds like something a dream would say,” Ghirahim told him, and Link shrugged.

“You don’t speak much,” Ghirahim said after a beat.

Link shook his head.

“Why?” Ghirahim asked, apparently genuinely curious.

“I don’t…  like it?  It’s…  hard.  There are…  it’s…  too much.  Too many.  Too many…  thoughts?  All the time?” Link tried very hard to explain what he meant.  He had tried to explain it to Sidon before, and was going to explain it to Ravio one day.  Sidon wanted him to talk more, forced him to sometimes.  But Ghirahim stared at him in contemplation for a few minutes, before asking something Link had hoped to hear from him all along.

“Can you read, little Link?”

Link nodded.

“Then why don’t you write, instead of talking?  It would help you practice thinking, force you to slow down without the pressure of people looking at you.  You strike me as someone who doesn’t like people looking at him.”

“I…  don’t.” Link admitted.

“Yes, you aren’t much of a showman.  But you’re pretty enough, and that means something.  It strikes me as odd that you’re here.  I haven’t seen any children to warrant a toy bunny.”  Ghirahim looked around the room, and at Link, and realized that it had not, as he had originally suspected, been set up for him.  It had the same meek personality as the little bunny coloring on the edge of the bed.

“This is your playroom?”

Link shook his head.

“What do you mean?”

“This is…” Link thought about how to answer, “My room.  Where I keep my things.  My playroom is Sidon’s bedroom.  That’s where he fucks me.”

“But you’re so small,” Ghirahim said as if that was an obvious problem.  “Aren’t you a toy?”

Link shrugged.  “I was.  But Sidon saved me.  From the shelter.  I love him.”

“Saved,” Ghirahim said as if Link had told a joke.  He had taken off his gloves and was looking at his hands.  “That vet clipped my nails and fucked up my manicure,” he said in disgust, “I need to go to the groomer.”

“I just got back,” Link said, and held up his hands.

“Sidon Bunny,” Ghirahim read, “Cute.”  He studied Link when he went back to drawing.

“I wish you would tell Ravio you were sorry,” Link told him, “I know he’s…  he can be a lot.  But he’s a good bunny.”

“Why were you at the shelter, Link?” Ghirahim asked, and when Link looked up, he was on his hands and knees, far too close and studying him with too much intensity.  “It it because you did something?  Or is it because humans are cruel?  Did your human outgrow you?  Toss you aside?  Did their parents take you away because the child was getting older and a bit too interested in pretty little bunnies?  Did it fuck you up?  To be thrown out like that?  Did it hurt?”

Link stared at him.  He was practically on top of him now, staring him down, almost like Sidon.

“Her…” Link blinked and held Ghirahim’s gaze.  He wouldn’t touch him, wouldn’t provoke him, but wouldn’t look away either.  “Her name was Zelda.  She loved me.  I don’t remember why her parents took me away.  It hurt.”

“LIAR!” Ghirahim slapped him without warning, backhanded him so hard he went flying from the bed and onto the floor.  “You don’t know pain!  She was always going to outgrow you!  You knew it going in!  He was supposed to love me FOREVER!”

Ghirahim screamed and grabbed at the collar as Sidon burst into the room and knelt beside Link.

“Darling are you alright?” He asked in a panic.

“He’s had worse, hasn’t he, Sidon?” Ghirahim asked through ragged breaths from the bed, “I’m sure it hurts worse trying to fit a human dick into a toy bunny.  I wouldn’t know.  My master is twice your size.”

“I’m sure that will greatly benefit him in the sacred realm,” Sidon picked Link up as he stood.  “You should have eaten your lunch, Ghirahim.  It may be a while before you get any more food.  Or healing potions.  I wouldn’t want to disturb you in time out while you think about what you’ve done to Link and Ravio.”

“But he’s hurt,” Link begged.

“Quiet, darling,” Sidon said as he carried him from the room.  Ghirahim had stumbled to his feet and followed them, and he got to the knob at almost the instant Sidon locked it.  The door rattled with the force of his blows as he slammed into it.

“Stop that!” Sidon said through the door, “You’ll regret it when the medication wears off and you can feel again.  I’m sure that isn’t good for the chest surgery!”

“You’re not really going to take his medicine from him, are you?” Link asked in horror.

“A day or two of pain isn’t going to kill him, darling.  It may help him understand.  Did he hurt you?”

“No!” Link begged, “No, he didn’t hit me hard at all!  I was ok!  I was fine!”

 

Ghirahim sank to his knees and rustled the knob again, but it held firm.  Bullshit.  His life had been heaps and heaps of bullshit since the night it had all happened.  He had warned Demise!  He had told him not to let her in the house, and especially not to let her in the bedroom!  Ghirahim knew him, knew how soundly he slept after a few rounds of hard sex.  He had never trusted her.

The problem with humans is that they never listened.

He turned around and sat with his back to the door.  His vision swam, and he wondered how long he had been sleeping.  There was no clock in Link’s room, but he knew that the drugs would wear off.  He used to take them, before, when Demise got it into his head to play some sort of game, and had a fair idea of his tolerance.  He shouldn’t have drank on top of them, but if there was ever a time he needed a drink…

Be solution oriented.

Demise was not dead, that much was obvious.  Demise was a leader, a king, one would say, of a criminal empire.  And Ghirahim had certainly been more spoiled than Link.  He had indulged in all his master’s vices- and all his virtues.

 

“Keep your shoulders squared, my beautiful bunny,” Demise had said, standing behind him and holding him by the wrists, “both hands, there you go.  Keep both eyes open.  Concentrate on the target.  Now squeeze, and expect the recoil.”

The bang was louder for Ghirahim, and it rang in his ears.

They were in Demise’s garden, in his private shooting range.  It was springtime, and all the birds went silent at the sound of the gunshot.  It was beautiful here, but Ghirahim didn’t appreciate it, because he had only ever known beauty.  He wished he had appreciated it.

“Good.  Perfect, absolutely perfect, Ghirahim.” Demise praised, “Headshot.  Now do it again, and get all six in the same place.”

“Yes master,” Ghirahim purred, and tried to lean back into him.

“No, baby, don’t move.  Keep your stance wide.”

“Yes master.”

“Your weapon is an extension of yourself.  Visualize it.  And squeeze.”  Demise squeezed his wrists lightly, to drive home the point, and Ghirahim squeezed the trigger.

_ Bang. _

_ Bang. _

_ Bang. _

_ Bang. _

_ Bang. _

_ Click. _

_ Click click click. _

“Excellent,” Demise took the gun from him, and Ghirahim snuggled into his chest, “Your grouping is getting better.  Look at that.”

“Thank you, master.” Ghirahim said to his heart.

“I mean it.” Demise told him, and wrapped one arm around him to keep him close.  “You need to know how to defend yourself.  You’re fierce, aren’t you, my little bunny?  What did I tell you?  What do you need to remember, if you ever get in a fight?”

“That I’m a bunny,” Ghirahim said, “A prey animal.  And 9 times out of 10, when a predator goes after prey, the prey wins, because the predator is fighting for his lunch, but the prey is fighting for his life.”

“Good boy,” Demise praised, and motioned to the box of bullets.  “Let’s see you load it.  Pointed at the ground, there’s a good boy.”

Ghirahim snapped the cylinder open and kept it there with two fingers as Demise had shown him.  It shouldn’t spin, and it didn’t.  He pressed each bullet in firmly, made sure every hole was filled, and snapped it back.  His made sure he heard the click when he pressed it back together.

“Don’t put the safety on this time,” Demise told him when Ghirahim had moved to do so, “You don’t have time.  When you’re in a fight, every second counts.”

“Yes master,” Ghirahim regained his stance, feet shoulder length apart, hips supporting his core, shoulders steady.  Expect the recoil.

“Try to hit the same place.  All six,” Demise reminded him.

“Yes master.”

“Shoot!”

Six shots, six loud sounds echoing through the garden, one target.

“Perfect, baby, perfect.” Demise said as he took the gun.  Ghirahim’s arms tingled.  “We’ll do moving targets next.  Would you like that?”

“Yes, master.”

“I wanted to teach my son how to do this,” Demise said, and Ghirahim didn’t like the sad, far-away look in his eyes, “But Twinrova is a bitch.”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim said.  “All your exwives are bitches.  They don’t appreciate you.  I don’t like them.”

“Well,” Demise shrugged, and went about reloading the revolver, “It’s…  a hard life, Ghirahim.  Not everyone wants to be hard.  You have to have a…  certain barrier.  Those who can’t handle my life, well.”  He scooted Ghirahim out of the way, and the two of them watched his servants changing the paper on the target.  “They leave.”

“They wouldn’t leave if they loved you, master.”  Ghirahim told him, “I’ll never leave you.  I love you.”

“I know, pet.” Demise smiled, “You’re perfect.”

Six shots.  Six loud sounds.  One hole.

“Sir,” A servant had walked silently from the huge mansion and stood a few feet from him, “Your contacts are here.  You asked me to tell you.”

“It’s such a lovely day, why don’t we entertain them in the garden?” Demise said as he reloaded the gun and slipped it into a shoulder holster.

  
  


Be solution oriented, Lord Ghirahim.  You are not a toy.  You are the pet of the most powerful man in Lorule.  Get on your feet.

He stood.

Now the first thing to do is to know your environment.  Do not let them wear you down.  This is a bunny’s room, and that means there is a security camera.  It’s a toy bunny; they aren’t known for their intelligence.  People underestimate them.  The camera will be in plain sight.

It was.  It was installed in a corner, pointing towards Link’s bed.

Time.

Ghirahim needed a timeline.

This house was not nearly so big as Demise’s, and that meant that the live-in staff was small.  The kitchen staff would leave after dinner, the cleaning staff would leave shortly thereafter once they had cleaned up dinner service.  There was probably one live-in butler or housekeeper, everyone else would be out of his hair by eight, nine at the latest.

He made his way to Link’s desk and pushed until it hit the corner.  He would feel it in…  probably an hour or so.  He gave himself an hour before the drugs wore off completely and the scar on his chest began to act up.  But that wasn’t important.  Escape was important.  The body would heal if he dumped enough potions down his throat.  They were in his suitcase, probably in Sidon’s room.

He stood on the desk, but it wasn’t high enough, so he had to get down and stack the chair.  It was rickety, but he had a clear view of the camera.  Before he pulled the wires from the wall, he had an idea.  Sneaking around was all well and good, but if there was one thing Demise had been very firm on, it was that you had to let the enemy know who was in control.  You had to be intimidating.

So he leaned back, and stared into the lense.

“Do you see me, Sidon?” He smiled, “I don’t think you do.  If you did, I would be on the ground in pain, wouldn’t I?  Oh, how I will never forget that.  You’re probably off somewhere, balls deep in your poor little toy, and he’s probably enjoying it because he doesn’t know any better, doesn’t know what a real master is.  You will regret how you treated me.  I’m coming for you, Sidon.  I am going to kill you.  Do you hear me?  Do you  _ believe  _ me?  You’d better.  A good bunny never lies.”

He jerked the wires from the wall, and the feed went dark.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that I know I need to warn for flashbacks, I am going to do my very best to let yhall know for every chapter that includes them, but keep in mind that the genre I'm going for here is psychological thriller, which is, as I explained in the comments last week, a genre that is, in general, KNOWN for its use of flashbacks. This one, in particular, gets a little gory. I realize, in hindsight, that I probably should have given a gun warning for the last chapter, too. I think that all of us can sometimes get a little blinded by our cultures, and in my case, I'm from a culture where guns are extremely common, so I absolutely forgot that they can be stressors for some people, and that's on me. Nobody mentioned it last time, but if I got anyone with that, I apologize.
> 
> I told yhall, this story is gonna get a little dark.
> 
> So for this chapter? Enjoy the sex and violence. Because that's what you're gonna get, and I want to let you know going in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I want to thank MissGillette, for creating this Au and letting me write in it, for the creative control that she insists she gives me even though I'm working in her world, and for diligently reading each and every chapter and giving me precious feedback. She's amazing, and I cannot recommend her work enough.
> 
> I have a tip jar if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

“Well, darling,” Sidon huffed as he dumped Link onto his bed, “Do you understand, now, why I may have been a bit reluctant to take him in?”

“He didn’t hit me that hard,” Link whispered, and pulled himself onto his knees with his hands folded in his lap.

“HE TORE OUT RAVIO’S THROAT!”

Link didn’t think he had ever heard Sidon scream before, and cowered in fear.  He pressed his head to the blanket and wrapped his arms around it, pinning his ears in place.

“Oh, no, no you don’t get to do that, ungrateful little animal!” Sidon growled, and grabbed Link by both wrists.  He jerked him up until he was on his knees again and shook for all he was worth, “You will look at me when I speak to you!  I will not be disrespected in my own house!  By my own bunny!”

“I’m sorry, Sidon!” Link begged, “I’m scared!”

“Well,” Sidon said, and his voice was much more gentle, though his grip was not, “I’m sure you are.  You brought a monster into this house.  I don’t know why I listened to you.  I think you’ve proven to both of us that you can’t be trusted to make decisions like that.  I’ve been too soft, too giving.  I knew better.  I know bunnies crave structure.”

“Sidon please,” Link begged, quietly.  Mr Ganondorf had said that Ghirahim had had surgery, that he had a wound.  “Please, he needs his medicine.”

“He needs to be put down!” Sidon snapped, and the bones in Link’s wrists ground together.  He couldn’t hold back the gasp of pain.

“Sidon please,” Link begged, “You’re scaring me.”

“I’m not scaring you, darling,” Sidon corrected, “Ghirahim scared you, and you’re emotional.  You haven’t come down from it, but don’t worry, I’ll help you burn off that energy.”  He shoved him back, released him with enough force to send him hard on his back on the bed, “Take off your clothes.”  When Link didn’t move he added, “NOW!”

Link’s hands trembled as he pushed at the buttons of his vest.  He moved as fast as he could, but his body wanted to move differently, to run away, maybe hide under the bed.  He had never seen Sidon like this, with that wrongness so close to the surface, threatening to spill over.  He loved Sidon.  He had to love him, had to make it work, had to love every part of him, even this thing that made him tremble under its gaze.

“You’re taking too long,” Sidon put one knee on the bed and grabbed at the collar of Link’s little dress shirt.  One strong tug had the little plastic buttons popping under his command, skittering across the room.

“I’m sorry,” Link begged, “I’m trying.”

“I know, darling.  But you need to try harder for me,” Sidon reminded him, “You love me, don’t you?  You’ll try your best for me?”

“I love you,” Link promised, and Sidon tore the shirt away and tossed it to the floor.

Link lamented the loss.  He liked that shirt.  He liked the little ruffle.  He liked the pants too, and tugged them open quickly, fearful that Sidon might destroy them as well.  Sidon rewarded his efforts with a kiss so possessive and fierce that Link swayed under it and lost his breath.

“On all fours for me, darling,” Sidon commanded, and moved away from him.  Link did as he was told, and looked over his shoulder, watching Sidon dig the lube from the nightstand where it was kept.  He spread his legs when he felt it dripping between his cheeks.

“I love you, Sidon,” he said.

“I know you do, darling,” Sidon said in a voice that was quiet and deep, with eyes that cut like daggers, and Link braced himself.  Sidon’s fingers pried him open, spreading him, preparing him, and he whimpered at the invasion.  “And I’m glad.  I’m so glad I have a good little bunny who loves me.  You’ve seen what happens to bad bunnies now, haven’t you?”

“Sidon?” Link asked quietly.

“Yes, darling?” He replied with a hint of annoyance.

“What does,” Link stopped mid sentence as a moan burst from him without his consent as Sidon pressed down hard on his prostate, “ah, sorry.  What does ‘put down’ mean?”

“Well,” Sidon took his hand away, and Link whined at the loss, “This isn’t exactly the time to go into that.  I’ll tell you later.  After I’m inside, darling, push your legs together and lean forward.  You’ll see what I mean.”

“Yes, Sidon,” Link moaned and fought to keep his head together.  Sidon moved in quickly, but Link had been well prepared this time, and once he was in, there was no pain at all, only the stretch and the pressure, and that overpowering, delicious feeling of fullness.  “So good…”

He momentarily forgot how to think, and didn’t obey Sidon until he felt the firm slap on his ass.

“I’m trying to hold back,” Sidon warned, “Don’t push me.”

“Sorry, Sidon,” Link moaned, “It’s hard to think…  when I feel this good.”

But he did move, pressed his thighs together and leaned forward onto his forearms, and somehow Sidon grew inside him, filled him up even more, and he moaned again.

“Sidon, oh, how?  You’re…” Link knew he wouldn’t last long like this, not once Sidon started moving.  Already the tension from earlier had left him; his body felt like goo that was barely held together.

Sidon leaned over him and held him by the arms, trapping him, encasing him, and the familiar sensation of safety fell over Link with him, like a blanket.

“Such a good little bunny,” Sidon praised, “and good bunnies get rewarded.  Nothing but pleasure for you, darling.”

He pulled back almost completely and Link whined.  Don’t leave, don’t leave him empty after he had known what it was like to be full.  Then Sidon snapped his hips forward, and everything was alright again, everything was heaven, and Link felt so good he wasn’t sure he remembered his name.  He only remembered Sidon, the source of that feeling, the giver of pleasure, the god among mortals who could make him feel things he had never dreamed about before.

 

* * *

 

“Mr Dragmire,” The man said, and Ghirahim thought he was strange.  They didn’t get many Hylians in the house.

Ghirahim was sitting on Demise’s lap at a small table in the garden, sipping tea.

“Blind,” Demise said with a smile, “Welcome to Wonderland.”

Ghirahim chuckled.  It was a funny joke.  Demise was funny.  Come to tea with a man and a bunny.

“You don’t have a hat,” Ghirahim thought aloud.

“No,” Demise smiled up at the man, “But I’m mad.  Sit down, Blind.”

The man sat, and instantly began to talk.

“I know how this looks,” he said, “But our train is cut off.  We can’t get product into Hyrule.  Hylia doesn’t want us working her territory.  I’ve had four runners tagged in the past two months.  I don’t know what to do, boss.”

“What do you think, Ghirahim?” Demise asked, and Blind looked more confused than worried.

Ghirahim sat his cup down and thought a moment before he spoke.  “Well, master, it seems to me that if minions cannot follow simple instructions, we should do away with them.  It seems that she’s done that for you.  It’s no great loss.”

“Exactly what I was thinking,” Demise praised, “We don’t need weak runners.  We don’t need weak followers at all.”

“These weren’t weaklings,” Blind glared at Ghirahim, “they were some of my best people.  This bitch is on a tear, boss.  You gotta do something about her.”

“You are here to tell me what I’ve ‘gotta’ do?” Demise said with a smile and one eyebrow arched, “It seems to me that you have profoundly misunderstood the nature of our relationship.  Get up, pretty bunny.”

Ghirahim hopped off his lap and stood obediently with his arms behind his back.

“It seems to me,” Demise said as he stood and made his way around the table, “that you have failed me.  Four times in the last two months.  Did you think I would like that?  And responsibility, I am afraid, does not roll down hill.  You are responsible for your runners, and I am responsible for you.  So now, I have to teach you a lesson so you won’t make these same mistakes again.”

“Boss I-”

“Shss,” Demise put a hand of each of his shoulders, “Just sit back and let it happen.  This is going to hurt, but every time you look at the scar, it will remind you not to fail me again.”  He looked over the man’s shoulders, and when he saw Ghirahim, his eyes were absolutely smoldering.  “Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘If the eye offends you, pluck it out’?”

“Yeah boss.” 

“What do you know about rabbits?” Demise asked, more conversationally, as if he was changing the subject.

“Not uh…  not a lot.” Blind responded, trying and failing to keep his voice from shaking, “They used to dig up our garden, when I was little.  Didn’t care for um.”

“Yes, they do love to dig.  Bunnies love to dig too.  Lord Ghirahim here loves to dig, don’t you, Ghirahim?”

“Oh yes,” Ghirahim smiled, “I came to live with my master when I was very young.  I was made for him, you know.  He gave me a playplace, and I would make intricate tunnels of those little balls and foam pieces.  I loved that pit, as a child.  Because he took such good care of me, now I can burrow through nearly anything.  He’s so good to me.  I love him.”

“Yeah, he’s a…  he’s a great guy.” Blind agreed, unsure why he was having this conversation.  He didn’t like those creepy ‘almost-human’ things, and he liked Ghirahim less than most of them.  He disliked purebred animals in general, on principle.  The poor thing was probably inbred or something.

“Ghirahim, why don’t you show him how well you can burrow?” Demise’s smile turned cold, and his grip on Blind’s shoulders tightened.

“Yes master,” Ghirahim smiled, and tugged off one glove, gripping the middle finger in his teeth and pulling it off slowly.  As he was sliding off the other, he asked, “Where should I start?”

“I don’t think he needs both eyes,” Demise shrugged as if the decision meant nothing to him.

“Boss, boss wait a second-” Blind spoke quickly, but Demise’s grip was strong, and Ghirahim moved like a lightning bolt.

He could burrow through all kinds of things for his master- but human flesh got him the most praise and the biggest reward.  He kept his claws long and well manicured, but in the wild they would be used for defense, and for digging, for breaking up soil and stones, for building borrows.  They were strong, and they severed the optic nerve instantly.

Rabbits were, perhaps, a bad choice for domesticity.  They were deceptively cute, but a hunter will tell you that the meat is gamey.  It’s all muscle, and Ghirahim had no difficulty withstanding the man’s feeble defense; after all, in the wild rabbits were meant to fend off wildcats with natural teeth and claws.  Hylians without weapons were not deadly predators.

Blind’s screams did not end when Ghirahim held the eye out for Demise to see.

“I got it!” He said proudly.

“You certainly did,” Demise kissed the top of his head, “My good bunny.  Now go, run and play.  Wash your hands and take some free time.  Blind and I still have much to discuss.”

“Thank you master,” Ghirahim tossed the eyeball on the table and smiled up at Demise.  “I love you!”

“I love you, my perfect bunny,” Demise told him and released one of Blind’s shoulders to tug Ghirahim into a real kiss, “I’ll come find you when I’m finished, alright?”

“Yes master!” Ghirahim said happily, and picked up his gloves with the hand that wasn’t covered in blood to skip his way into the house.

  
  


Ghirahim had made a quick scan for weapons, but it seemed as if that man, Sidon, had been smarter than he looked.  He had taken away anything sharp like scissors, so Ghirahim was forced to fold a piece of Link’s construction paper several times to get a tip both sturdy enough, but still small enough, to unscrew the camera case.  He didn’t want to break any of Link’s things; Link hadn’t actually done anything too terrible to him, but the camera, he was certain, belonged to Sidon.  Besides, he only needed a weapon to last him until he could get to the kitchen, where the knives were.  Demise had taught him well how to use a knife, had praised his skills, had told him that he was even better than a human.

It came apart in pieces, none of which looked particularly useful.  They were all plastic and flimsy.  He frowned.  He really didn’t want to break anything of Link’s.  He didn’t know why he had taken such an instant liking to such an uncultured mutt, a shelter toy, for fuck’s sake, but there was something about him that drew Ghirahim to him.  He believed in fate, he had, after all, been born with a purpose.  He was a preorder.  All bunnies were genetically engineered creatures, they weren’t found in the wild, but Ghirahim and others like him were special.

Demise had picked him out even before he had been born, had designed him from the ground up, and the breeder had given him the perfect breed, the perfect bunny.  He had been made for Demise.  He lived because of him, to serve him, to be with him, to love him.  And Demise could not be dead.  People who could create life could not simply up and die because a bitch stabbed them a few times.  That was ridiculous on its face.

He would get out of here, and he would find his master.  And then, he would find Hylia, and kill her for her crimes.

A bolt of white hot pain shot from his chest and he threw a hand over the wound.  It was the worst pain he had ever felt, and he knew she had tried to kill him.  But she hadn’t succeeded.  How could someone who couldn’t even kill a bunny kill Demise?  They couldn’t.  He stood and walked to the mirrored doors of Link’s closet, and slowly unbuttoned his shirt.  He pulled his undershirt up and looked at the scar in the shape of a diamond- four stab wounds, four chambers in a heart.  He thought of the connection.  He hated Hylia.

The pain nearly knocked him off his feet, and he grabbed his reflection for support.

_ You can do this.  The potions are in your suitcase in Sidon’s room.  It’s across the hall, you can hear him fucking Link in there. _

_ Get the collar off. _

_ Get a weapon. _

_ Get your potions. _

_ Get the hell out of this house and go home to Demise. _

_ Come on, Ghirahim, get your shit together, any person can complete a four item to-do list.  Any dumbass can do four things. _

“I know it hurts,” he told his reflection, “But you have got to keep your shit together.  Do it for Demise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew I was going to be out of town all day today, and I thought about posting this early yesterday, but MissG actually also knows a lot of stuff about traffic trends, because apparently she's just a bastion of knowledge, and I think her advice may be the reason that my fics never get good readership. Who knew that people would like consistent upload schedules better than random nonsense? Everyone but me?
> 
> Also, I did FINALLY write another chapter to the Hyrule Warriors AU, but I think I'm going to do there what I did here and write out a bunch of chapters, get ahead of myself, and then post them on a schedule. Let me know what you guys think if you're still reading that. Would that be better than the random "when I feel like it" uploads I normally do?
> 
> Also, I really want to thank everyone who stuck with this long-ass fic. I'm running out of steam on it, and the comments really keep me going. I think that I'm finally getting to a point where there is a real ending in sight.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This summary is just the repeated sound of maniacal laughter. I'm gonna go on ahead and give the violence warning. Anyone who has ever tried to keep a rabbit in any kind of enclosure knows how bad they are to chew through or dig under that shit and escape, so I honestly don't know what Sidon thought was going to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yhall, I know it's 4 in the day but you don't know how crazy shit has been in meatspace for me today. I meant to post this at like 9am.
> 
> This chapter gets violent, there's blood in it, so be prepared for that.
> 
> I once again want to thank MissGillette for her general awesomeness, and remind everyone to read her work if you aren't already. She's let me use her AU and given me amazing feedback- and just been amazing in general.
> 
> If anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way, I do have a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Link cuddled in Sidon’s arm, tucked into his chest.  He hadn’t forgotten about Ghirahim, locked away in his room with no medicine, but he wanted to take two minutes for himself.  He so rarely got to experience this warmth and closeness, and he had successfully slain the monster inside Sidon, for which he was proud.  Sidon had calmed tremendously, and just held Link, as he picked the phone up off his nightstand.

“How the he- that is,” He looked down and saw Link looking up at him, “That little…  Ghirahim.  Has, I believe, broken the security camera in a fit of rage.  I should probably go deal with that.”

He got up with great reluctance, and Link sat up, and asked quietly, “Can I have a new shirt, please?  From my closet?  For dinner?”

“Yes, darling,” Sidon said without trying to hide his exasperation, “I’ll get you another of the shirts from your closet.  Would you like the one I bought you a few weeks ago?  The pink one?  I think a splash of color would do you good.”

Link nodded and said, “Thank you, Sidon.”

“You’re welcome, darling.  I look forward to a nice, quiet dinner.”  He pulled the remote to Ghirahim’s collar from his pocket, and held it with his finger over the button before he dared make his way into the hall.

He knocked on the door and was shocked when it swung open.

Shit.

He looked down, and saw that the wood around the doorknob had been chewed through, as if a rat had been at it-

Or a bunny.

The entire door would need to be replaced!  This was getting ridiculous!  And Ghirahim was loose in his house, doing goddess knows what!  He burst into the room, and had already sent the signal from his brain to his hand to push the button on the remote, when his vision gave out.  The world went wobbly, and purple spots popped up, obstructing the cheary, child-like room.  The room teetered around him, and he realized he was no longer holding anything as he put out his hands to steady himself.  He was vaguely aware of a pain in the back of his head, but he had no idea how he made it to the ground.

Ghirahim didn’t see any blood on the copy of “The Complete Beatrix Potter Collection” that he had used to smash in Sidon’s occipital lobe, and considered that a success in ‘not damaging any of Link’s things’.

“And now,” he said aloud as he sat on Sidon’s back, “To get the hell out of McGregor's garden.”

“What?” Sidon asked, and tried to blink the spots from his vision.

Ghirahim knew he would only be dazed a few seconds, that he had to move quickly.  But bunnies were known for their speed, and he opted to just turn his pockets inside out instead of going through them.  It was in the second one that he found what he was looking for- a little metal key.

He wrapped one hand around Sidon’s neck as he leaned forward to pick it off the floor, and wrapped that hand until his thumb covered one pulsing vein and his fingers covered the other.  Then he squeezed, and the blood stopped flowing to Sidon’s brain.  You had to do it for at least 30 seconds, Demise had told him, and no more than two minutes.  Any longer than two minutes and they would die.  And good bunnies probably shouldn’t kill people.  Probably.  Ghirahim wasn’t too clear on that.

He fumbled with the key in his free hand, and it took him longer than he would have liked to get it into the clasp of the collar.  He took a deep, soothing breath as it fell away, and made an instant decision.  He let go of Sidon’s neck and moved quickly-

To snap the collar in place.

It barely fit around a human, but Ghirahim held it closed long enough to lock it, and that was all he needed.  Once he was sure it was secure, he darted up, and scrambled for the remote.  A fit of glee overtook him, and though he understood the need for silence, he broke into a round of laughter.  He stood, clutching his chest and trying his damndest to channel his pain, to use it, instead of letting it weaken him.  He darted forward and grabbed the cell phone from the assorted pile of things he had dumped out of Sidon’s pockets, and moved quickly until his back was to the wall by the doorframe.

It was too early for this.  He didn’t think Sidon would check on him.  It had thrown a wrench into his plans, and that meant the plan was useless.  He had to be solution oriented.  This could be salvaged.  This could still work.  He was going to go home, and when he told Demise what this man had done to him, he would have him punished, downstairs, under the estate, where the bad humans were kept.

Sidon pushed himself up on one arm as soon as the blood began to circulate again, and tried to take in as much information as he could.  Something was making it difficult to breath, and he had no trouble understanding what that something was when he saw Ghirahim standing in the doorway.

_ Shit _ , he thought, but he didn’t say that.  He kept his face perfectly neutral, perfectly under control.  He couldn’t show fear.  He was the human.  He was in control.  

“Stay down,” Ghirahim warned.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Sidon said without losing the authority in his voice.

“No, you’re sure as hell not,” Ghirahim agreed, “Never again.  Because, as I said before, I’m going to kill you.”

“If you try to kill a human, Ghirahim,” Sidon reminded him, “They’ll put you down.  You’re already on thin ice.”

Ghirahim pushed the button, and Sidon screamed.

Link, still nude, burst into the doorway, and didn’t have the ability to process what he was seeing.  None of it made any sense.  His stomach tightened and did a flip, and he clutched the doorway for support.

“Lord Ghirahim,” Ghirahim said, and mocked Sidon when he spoke again, “Let’s try that again, shall we?  With a little more respect.”

“What’s…” Link swallowed the bile rising in his throat, “What’s going on?”

Sidon pulled at the collar, but it stuck tight.  He tried his pockets, only to discover they were inside out.  The key to the collar was not among the things on the floor.

“What’s wrong human?” Ghirahim asked, “Does it hurt?  How does it feel to be at the mercy of someone you don’t trust?”

“Ghirahim,” Link begged, wide-eyed, “Stop!  What…  what’s wrong with you?”

“Well don’t you look freshly fucked,” Ghirahim smiled at him, “Go put some clothes on, little toy.  I must say though, that I looked in that closet and your fashion sense is atrocious.  Do you own anything that isn’t mass-produced fast fashion garbage?  I daresay my collar is worth more than your entire wardrobe.  But then, it wasn’t your choice, was it?  You had to take what you were given.”

“Leave him alone!” Sidon snapped, “And give me the key.  If you stop this and hand it over right now, maybe I will take pity on you, and I won’t call Ganondorf.”

“You won’t call anyone,” Ghirahim said as he pushed the button.  Sidon, to his credit, did not scream a second time, but Link watched in horror as his body tensed up from the shock.

“Ghirahim, please,” Link begged.

“Get dressed,” Ghirahim told him, “Something warm.”

He kept the button pressed as he walked up and picked a set of keys off the floor.  He snapped them to his pants and walked back to the doorway before he let up on it.

“You aren’t supposed to do that!” Sidon said, trying to speak calmly, “You can’t keep it pressed like that.  That isn’t how it works.”

“Oh, I can,” Ghirahim shrugged, “It’s just that it may kill you.  I have to weigh the risks versus the rewards.  And you are a casualty I am perfectly willing to accept.”

“Don’t kill him!” Link begged.

“Then get dressed,” Ghirahim said, conversationally, and Link finally recognized the look he had always seen in Sidon’s eyes, the look threatening to spill over:

Madness.

He was crazy.  Sidon was a little bit crazy, but it was manageable.  Ghirahim was…  broken beyond his comprehension.

Link ran to the closet and threw it open.

“What do you want me to wear?” he asked.

“Don’t be a child,” Ghirahim snapped at him.

“Give me the key, Ghirahim,” Sidon said again, with more authority than he felt.

“Why?” Ghirahim asked, “Honestly, I knew this would happen.  If you give a servant a little mercy, he begins to see himself as your equal.  You were never my equal, you spoiled little trust-fund brat.  I read you like a book the moment I saw you.  You could never be worthy of someone like me.  You are nothing like Demise.”

“Demise is dead, Ghirahim!” Sidon told him, and went rigid as the electricity moved through him.

“No he isn’t!” Ghirahim barked, “That’s ridiculous!  Link, how long does it take you to- oh, good you’re dressed.  Hideously dressed, but beggars can’t be choosers, I suppose.”

“Let him go!” Link demanded, and was shocked by the conviction in his own voice.

“Excuse me?” Ghirahim asked, genuinely taken aback.

“Hurting my master won’t bring yours back!” Link hissed at him.

“You think that’s what this is about?” Ghirahim rolled his eyes, “You ignorant whore.”  He grabbed Link by the wrist and tugged.  “Sidon, if you follow me, I swear, hand on a holy text, that I will rip out his jugular.  Link, let’s see how much he actually cares about you.  If he loves you at all, he’ll stay down.”

He pulled Link from the room and moved quickly across the hall.

“Open the door,” he demanded, and Link turned the knob.  Ghirahim found his suitcase almost instantly, and tossed Link to the side.

“Stay right there,” he demanded, “Stay where I can see you.  Keep your hands up.  Don’t move.”

“What is wrong with you?” Link asked, “How did you get like this?”

This was…  everything was so wrong, had gone so wrong so quickly.  This wasn’t how bunnies were supposed to act.  Everything about Ghirahim was wrong on a level that Link didn’t understand.  He watched him unzip the suitcase and tear it open, watched him take out a medical pouch and dump it upside down onto his clothes.

Ghirahim grabbed one of the red potions and emptied it down his throat, then clutched his chest as the pain faded.

“That hurt so bad,” He said when he opened his eyes and looked back at Link.  “She…  the doctor said she…  tried to carve out my heart.”

Link nodded.

“He shouldn’t have taken your medicine from you,” Link said, quietly.  He looked from the open door of Sidon’s room to see Sidon still kneeling on the floor, digging at the collar.  “But you shouldn’t have hurt him.  Give me the key, Ghirahim.”

“No.  Fuck him.  He deserves it.”

“I love him.”

“Then you’re a fool.”

“I…  don’t care,” Link shrugged.  “Give me the key.  You don’t know what it’s like, Ghirahim.  Let him help you.  You don’t want to go to the shelter.”

“Stupid little toy,” Ghirahim zipped his suitcase back up, “I’m going home.”

“There is no home!” Link pleaded, “Your master is dead!  And the only hope you have is to learn how to control this rage so you can tell the humans what happened!  They have to believe you or they’ll let that bad woman go!  Is that what you want?”

“I want to go home to Demise!” Ghirahim answered and stood, “Where does he keep the firearms?”

“I don’t know what that is,” Link pleaded.

“Play stupid with me, little bunny, and I’ll shock him until his heart stops.” Ghirahim held up the remote.

“I don’t have a gun, Ghirahim,” Sidon yelled from Link’s room, “I’m not a crime lord!”

“I don’t believe you!” Ghirahim snapped, and to Link he added, “Humans lie.”

Link had to save Sidon.  He had to get that key.  A good bunny never fights.

“Please, Ghirahim, give me the key,” he begged.

“Knives then,” Ghirahim marched up, set down his suitcase and grabbed Link by the arm, “Get that suitcase and take me to the kitchen.”

“The cook is in there,” Link told him.  Link wasn’t allowed in the kitchen, because he would disturb the cook.  He would be annoying.

“It amazes me, the things you think I would care about,” Ghirahim told him, “Pick up the suitcase.”

“No!”

Sidon hissed in pain as his muscles seized.  This was out of hand.  Link watched his body tense, watched the electricity shoot through him, and made a decision.

Perhaps Link would always be a little bit bad, because he belong to Sidon, and Sidon was a little bit bad.  Good bunnies never fought other bunnies, and that thought was at the forefront of Link’s mind when he sank his teeth into Ghirahim’s wrist until he tasted blood.  Ghirahim screamed and grabbed him by the ears to jerk him away, but Link’s teeth were in deep.  Link raised his arm and elbowed Ghirahim as hard as he could in the chest, where he had been clutching it, where it already hurt, and Ghirahim dropped the remote.

“Stupid little gadfly!” Ghirahim snapped, and tackled him.  He pinned Link down, reaching for the remote, but Link struggled, kicking and biting whatever he could reach, and there was a sound of tearing as he ripped the shirt along Ghirahim’s back.

Ghirahim never made it to the remote, because Sidon was there, grabbing his wrists and pinning them behind his back.  He jerked him off Link and slammed him, hard to the ground.

“What’d you do with the key?” He demanded.

“Fuck you!” Ghirahim bucked, trying to throw him off, and Link pushed himself up on an elbow, trying to catch his breath and still tasting Ghirahim’s blood.

“Link!  In those boxes, the ones we haven’t opened yet, is something called an ‘arm restraint’.  Get it!  Bring it to me!” Sidon demanded.  He had crawled on top of Ghirahim, smothering him with his whole body, shoving his head into the hardwood.

“Stop struggling!” Sidon demanded.

“You’ll have to kill me first!” Ghirahim tried to kick up, but Sidon was lying on top of him now, and only jostled with the movement.

“Don’t tempt me,” Sidon said coldly.  Link came over, ripping the box open as he ran, and pulled out something that looked kind of like his corset.  “I’ll hold his arms. Put it around them.”

“Like hell you will!” Ghirahim’s struggles intensified, but Link managed to get the device under him.  Sidon pulled it tight with one hand and Link sealed the first clasp at the wrist.  Sidon did the other three, then undid the one Link had done and pulled it a rung tighter.

“What did you do with the key?” Sidon asked Ghirahim as he flipped him onto his pinned arms.

“Go fuck yourself!” Ghirahim spat, “I got out of that collar!  I’ll get out of this!  I’m going to kill you!”

“Well you don’t have any pockets,” Sidon reasoned, and sat on one of Ghirahim’s legs to take the boot off the other, “So you either threw it somewhere or you have it on you.  You had better pray you still have it.  Link, darling, I don’t mean to use you as an errand boy, but I’m in a bit of a tight spot.  Go get me the spreader bar and the leg restraints.”

Link nodded and ran back to the pile.

“Quickly, darling,” Sidon prompted, “And a gag wouldn’t hurt my feelings one bit, if you come across it.”  A few minutes went by while he hunted, and Sidon had more anger in his voice when he said, “Link!”

Link came running back over with the devices in hand, and Sidon got a swift kick to the face when he tried to switch legs.  Link watched the blood seep from his nose as he jerked open the box, and Sidon took the ankle cuffs from his hands.

“Hold him down by the shoulders.  Don’t let him bite you.” Sidon commanded, and Link obeyed.  

It took Sidon far too long to get his ankles secure, but after that the process went quickly.  Sidon spread Ghirahim’s legs and attached another pair of restraints just above the knees, then clasped a bar to them that forced his knees apart. He had looped the chain of the ankle restraints through the bar in a way that forced Ghirahim to sit on his knees.  He wouldn’t even be able to sit all the way up.  Sidon walked over to the boxes and came back with another chain.

“Hold still,” he warned, “This is mercy.  If you don’t hold still, I’ll leave you as you are now.”

“Oh, fuck you.” Ghirahim barked, “You have no mercy!”

“You aren’t dead,” Sidon reminded him.

“Fuck off,” Ghirahim said, but he held still.  There wasn’t really any movement he could make.

“This is a deep bite,” Sidon said to the room, “Link, go into the bathroom.  Under the sink is a white box with a red cross, bring it to me.”

Link nodded, scampered up, and refused to look at his face in the mirror over the sink.  He found the box quickly and brought it to Sidon.  Sidon opened it and took out a roll of thin, wispy material.

“Hold still.  I mean it.  I will not hesitate to leave you to bleed out if you cross me.” Sidon warned Ghirahim.  Then he undid the clasp at his wrists.  The inside of the restraint was covered in blood, and Sidon sighed.

“I need a washcloth, Link, damp on one side and dry on the other.  I am so sorry, darling, to keep making you do things.  You should be taking a post orgasmic nap.”

“It’s fine, Sidon,” Link said, because in the overall situation he was happy to be given tasks to perform.  He felt a little numb, as if he felt too much too quickly, and now his body needed to recharge.  He got up and made his way back to the bathroom.

“Don’t flex,” he heard Sidon say as he ran the corner of the washcloth under the hot water without looking at his reflection.

“Why the hell would I do that?  Do I want to bleed to death?  Did he get the artery?” Ghirahim snapped.

“No, it’s not bad.  He didn’t want to hurt you.  He wanted to get the remote away from you.” Sidon said as he wrapped the gauze around the wound.  Gently he asked, “What did you do with the key, Ghirahim?”

“I’ll tell you if you give me another healing potion.”

“I was going to do that anyway,” Sidon said as he tied off the gauze and took the washcloth from Link.

“No you weren’t.” 

“I’m not a bad person,” Sidon said, “All Hylians are not Hylia.  Link, will you get him a healing potion?”

Link unziped Ghirahim’s suitcase and noticed Sidon’s phone inside.  He brought the potion, and the phone over, handed the latter to Sidon, and popped the cork on the bottle so he could hold it to Ghirahim’s lips.

“I’m sorry I bit you,” Link said quietly, “You were going to hurt my master.”

Ghirahim swallowed, licked his lips, then sat up as far as he could on his knees to lick a long line down Link’s cheek.

“I understand.  I would have done the same thing.”

He winced as Sidon tightened the restraint back around his wrists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yhall notice how Ghirahim LITERALLY bopped him on the head? Like in the song? I'm far more proud of that than I have any right to be. He went full Foo Foo on his ass, lol :D


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The entire summary for this chapter is a trigger warning. This chapter is about a "corrective rape", something that happens to real people, and something that I have tried to recreate here realistically. It's got the denial, the bargaining, the disengagement, the forced orgasm, the clinging to overt power- and more things that I'm probably forgetting. If that's too much for you, please don't read it. It's handled realistically, not the way they're normally portrayed in a narrative. If this is something that will trigger you, please don't put yourself out and hurt yourself just because you want to be nice and read something I wrote. And, as happens in the real world, there is no resolution in which the rapist is punished after the fact- the survivor just has to deal with it, with unhealthy coping mechanisms like denial and repression.
> 
> I really want yhall to understand how bad it gets in this chapter. The tags are there for a reason. This is a psychological story, about what trauma does to people. And this is a traumatic event, for at least two of the people involved. I'm running out of room, but please be careful with this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really almost hate to post this chapter, yhall. Please be careful with it. It's not that I think I'm such a good writer that I'm going to traumatize people, it's that this is based on real events that happen to real people, and I don't want anyone who has gone through this to read it and get hurt.
> 
> Having said that, over and over, I want to move on to thanking the wonderful MissGillette, and asking that everyone go read her writing- not just her Little Bunny Rinku story, but everything. She's amazing. And she was willing to read this story and give me feedback, after allowing me to work in her AU. She's great.
> 
> As always, tips are appreciated: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

“It’s in my suitcase,” Ghirahim told them.

“Sidon, your nose is bleeding,” Link whispered.

“It isn’t broken,” Sidon assured him.

Link was not used to seeing so much blood.

“Can I go brush my teeth?” He asked.

“Please, darling,” Sidon stood and walked to the mirror over his dresser, dabbing at his face with the washcloth.  He would have a bruise right in the middle of his face, and another on the back of his head.  He was still a little dizzy from being beamed with a book and shocked half to death.

“What kind of Saw bullshit is that thing, anyway?” Ghirahim asked him.

“It isn’t made for humans,” Sidon told him as he came back to go through Ghirahim’s suitcase, “that key had better be in here.”

“It seemed to work on humans.”

Ghirahim had tastes as expensive as he claimed.  Most of his clothes were immaculate, white, and gorgeous.  None of them had labels; they were all couture.  Sidon felt a little less crazy about getting Link a custom corset from a real tailor.  If Demise did it, it had to be, at the very least, in fashion.  The key was tiny, and Link had come back into the room by the time he found it.

“Link,” Ghirahim asked, “Is this your arm binder?”

Link nodded.

“Can I break it?”

“I’d rather you didn’t…” 

“I’d love to say he  _ can’t _ break it, but he destroyed half your room,” Sidon took a deep breath when the lock popped free on the collar.  “Honestly, Ghirahim, you’re like a hurricane.  And I don’t trust this new, calm demeanor.  I can see through you.”

He walked back to the dresser and looked into the mirror again while he rubbed his neck.  

“That’s going to leave a mark.”

“It left a mark on me too, you petulant sadist!” Ghirahim snapped.

“What’s a sadist?” Link asked, “You keep saying that.”

“Someone who likes to hurt people.” Ghirahim explained, “I think he gets off on it.  He’s not doing it to help.”

Link frowned, then knelt by Ghirahim’s suitcase to refold the clothes Sidon had gone through to find the key.

“You won’t get this collar off again.” Sidon said as he turned and folded his arms across his chest.  “I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

“No, you’ll make brand new mistakes,” Ghirahim agreed, “Do not put that thing back on me.  I’ve nearly had it with you.  Sidon, do you have the ability to  _ think?   _ Do you know what will happen when my master finds out that you’ve failed him?”

“Demise is dead,” Sidon said, and understood why Ganondorf had sounded the way he had when he had drug Ghirahim out of the car.  Sidon wasn’t even speaking about his own father and the phrase grated on his nerves.

“I mean Master Ganondorf,” Ghirahim smiled, “The man who, if your lies are to be believed, stands to inherit a fortune  _ if and only if  _ Hylia looks like a liar.  The man who could be exposed if she looks credible.  Do you think I am stupid?  Do you think I don’t know that there’s a house of cards that could come tumbling down over this?  That’s why Demise is pretending to be dead.  Because even Hylia cannot wriggle her way out of a murder charge.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sidon smirked, but there was fear in his eyes.

“Demise had his fingers in dozens of different pies,” Ghirahim continued, “He was a kingpin.  And he owns everything.  And it can all come apart.  Ganondorf.  Yuga.  Hylia.   _ You _ .”

Sidon snickered.

“I don’t think you can teach me anything,” Ghirahim said sweetly, “Not in a month, not in a year, not in a lifetime.  You can’t handle me.  Because to learn something, there must be mutual respect.  And I have never respected a man less.  Even the men who failed my master had tried to do something with themselves.”

Link thought Ghirahim was strange, and that he could say a lot of words without actually saying anything.  He suspected that he just liked the sound of his own voice.

“Your problem, Ghirahim,” Sidon eventually decided, “Is that you forget what you are.  That’s why you can’t stay calm.  You seem to think you’re human.”

Ghirahim laughed, and his whole body vibrated with it.

“Before you open your mouth to talk about how much better than your human servants you think you are,” Sidon bent to scoop up the gag he had asked Link to bring over, “I want you to think about something.  If you did manage to kill me, to break out of here and run off into the snow- there is nowhere you could go, and nothing you could do.  You can’t spend money.  You couldn’t buy food, or clothes.  You can’t survive in the wild, because you never evolved in the wild.”

Ghirahim glared at Sidon, and opened his mouth to insult him, but Sidon shoved the gag in it and tightened it around the back of his head.

“Look at me,” Sidon grabbed Ghirahim by the hair and stared into his hateful eyes, “You are just another pretty thing he owned.  And now that he’s gone?  You’re nothing.”

He stood.

“Come on Link, let’s go to dinner.”

 

* * *

 

Link tried to eat his mushroom rissato, because he hadn’t eaten any lunch.  Everything tasted like blood, and Sidon was agitated more than he had ever seen him.

“I’m sorry,” Link said, and though his voice was quiet the dining room had been silent as a tomb, and it sounded louder than it should have.

“He has to learn to behave,” Sidon said with his hands folded over his plate and his eyes closed, “He has to learn.  He needs to be…  desensitized.”

“Are you ok?” Link asked.

“I’ll be fine, darling.” He smiled, opened his eyes, and took Link’s hand.  “As long as I have you.  I’ll be fine.”

“Is it…  ok?” Link asked, “That I bit him?”

Sidon sighed, and ran his thumb over Link’s knuckles.

“I never intended to bring any kind of violence into your life, darling.” He spoke slowly, as if he was choosing his words carefully, “It is never good for a bunny to fight.  But in this case, I think it is…  understandable.  Nothing bad will happen to you for it.  You’re a good bunny.  I wish you would eat something.”

Link left his chair and crawled into Sidon’s lap.

“I didn’t think he would be like this,” he whispered.

“It’s only his first day,” Sidon reminded him, “He’ll improve.  He’s probably getting hungry.”

Link nodded.  Part of him wished that he had never begged Sidon to bring Ghirahim into their house, but part of him still really wanted to help him.  He just didn’t know how.

“And he’s always been a cuddlebunny,” Sidon continued, “He’s probably starved for affection.  It’s been nearly a week since his owner died.”

Link nodded again.  He understood what Sidon meant.  Once you awakened this need for sex and people-kisses, it was almost impossible to ignore.  It would sneak up on you at the weirdest times, preoccupy your mind until you could think of nothing else.

“Please try to eat a few bites for me, darling.  You didn’t eat your lunch.  What if I fed you?”

Link nodded.  Sidon used to feed him by hand every day, when he had first come to live with him.  He still did, sometimes, when Link was feeling nervous.  Link didn’t know why it made it so much easier for him, but something about Sidon spoke of safety, and Link was able to relax enough to get his nervous stomach to kind of settle- not all the way, but the sight of food didn’t make him gag, and he didn’t taste the blood anymore.  He was able and willing to bite from the fork if Sidon held it, but completely unable to hold it himself.

“Do you want dessert?” Sidon asked him, “You love cake.”

Link nodded.

“A…  a little.” He said, snuggling into Sidon’s chest.

Sidon cut a bite for him, and at the last second shoved it into his own mouth.  Link giggled and kissed him to taste the sugar.

“Did I trick you?  How evil of me,” Sidon said as he placed the next bite gently on Link’s tongue.  “But I needed to see you smile.”

They went on like that, Sidon eating one bite and Link the next, until the piece was gone, and Sidon scooted his chair out a little.  Link turned in his lap to hug him, and Sidon pushed him back a little to look down at him, before leaning forward to kiss him.  It was a real kiss, full of passion and love, and Link tasted the sugar left over in his mouth.

“I love you so much, little bunny,” Sidon said, gazing down at him.

“I love you, Sidon,” Link snuggled into his open palm, draped across his cheek.

“How does my face look?” Sidon asked.

Link gently ran his fingertips over the bruise and watched Sidon wince.  He didn’t like it.  He had never seen Sidon hurt before, and the thought filled him with emotions he didn’t understand.  But he knew he had a good thing going here, and Ghirahim was not going to take it from him.  On the other hand…  if Link was this upset over a bruise, he couldn’t begin to comprehend how Ghirahim had to feel over a death.  He was just so hurt, so incomprehensibly hurt.

“It’s bruised,” he said, finally, “But you’re still pretty.”

“I was pretty?” Sidon asked in mock alarm, “Darling why didn’t you tell me?  Did you fear I may fall prey to vanity?”

Link giggled and kissed him gently.

“Ghirahim should eat,” he said quietly, after dropping his hands to play with Sidon’s shirt.

“I don’t disagree,” Sidon mused, “But he can’t be rewarded for his behavior today.”

Link nodded.

“What if we can…  get him to do something good?” Link asked.

“I honestly don’t know that he’s capable,” Sidon huffed.  “It’s cute that you’re worried about him, darling.  You’re a saint.”

“I bit him because he hurt you,” Link said, and tried to channel a lot of meaning into those few words.

“You are not a bad bunny, Link.” Sidon held his face in both hands and pulled it up, to force Link to look into his eyes, “Hey.  Darling, look at me.  Those people were wrong about you.  You are not a bad bunny.  Sometimes, good bunnies are forced to do bad things.”

Link nodded.

“Can we take him a piece of cake?  If he does something good?” Link asked, after the gaze had become too much and he averted his eyes.

Sidon hummed in thought, rubbing little circles under Link’s eyes.

“Cut a piece for him, darling.”

 

Ghirahim had fallen forward somehow, which forced his legs to bend in a strange way that looked a little painful.  He had obviously been struggling but hadn’t gotten far.  When he saw them walk in, he said something, muffled by the gag, and narrowed his eyes at Sidon.

“Are you ready to apologise yet?” Sidon asked him.

Ghirahim glared at him.

“I’m going to take this gag out, and you are going to be polite,” Sidon explained, “Link has taken pity on you, and brought you a piece of cake.  He thought you might be hungry.’

Ghirahim held still as Sidon removed the gag, then rolled his jaw and tried to wipe his mouth on his shoulder.

“You have fallen into a fit of madness if you honestly believe I would eat anything you offered me.” he said, “Or if you think I have any regret about any damage I did to you.”

Sidon lifted him so that he was sitting on his knees again.

“Realistically,” Sidon had the authority back in his voice, “How long do you think you can go on a hunger strike before it kills you?  Is that your goal?  You’re going to be here a month.”

“I don’t know what fresh torture you have concocted,” Ghirahim turned to watch Sidon over his shoulder, “But I do not trust you.  I would rather die by my own hand than fall victim to some sort of ruse.”

“So dramatic,” Sidon stared down at him for a few minutes before he said, “Link, will you give me a bite of that cake, darling?”

Link cut off a bite and held it out for Sidon, who opened his mouth to pluck it from the fork.  He really seemed to savor it, rolled it around his tongue before he swallowed.  Link thought it was adorable.

Ghirahim watched him with skepticism, thinking of how he would rather pluck out his own eyes than see the smug look on Sidon’s face.

“Fine,” Ghirahim eventually said, “But I don’t know how you expect me to eat junk food while I am so…  indisposed.”

“I don’t,” Sidon said as he walked away, towards the bed, towards the nightstand, “Rewards need to be earned.”

“Oh what fresh hell is this?” Ghirahim appeared to direct this question upwards, perhaps to the goddesses.

“You’re a cuddlebunny, aren’t you?” Sidon asked, conversationally, and Ghirahim’s ears shot straight up.

“You’re making a mistake,” Ghirahim said coldly, “I belong to Demise, and no one mounts me without his permission!  You can’t…”  he turned his gaze to Link, “He can’t do this.  He cannot do this!  This is not happening!”

“Be good,” Link said, “Please, for once in your life, be good.”

“Have you gone mad!?” Ghirahim asked him as Sidon grabbed him by the hair.  “Stop!”

“Quiet little bunny,” Sidon scratched his scalp.

“Oh, fuck off!” Ghirahim tried to jerk his head away, but there was nowhere to go.

“Stop struggling and listen,” Sidon told him, “I think a big part of your problem is pent-up energy.  Bunnies are made to be played with-”

“You are not my master!” Ghirahim growled, “Do not touch me!”

“And you’ve been going without for so long that it’s no wonder you’re frustrated.  Needy.” Sidon finished.

“If you do this, it will not improve anything,” Ghirahim had opted for reason when he found that he could neither fight nor flee.  “This will make me hate you.”

“I think you’re wrong, cuddlebunny.  I think you’ll feel better once you remember your purpose.” Sidon explained.

“My purpose,” Ghirahim argued, “Is to serve Demise.  I don’t want you.”

“You don’t know what you want,” Sidon explained, “You need a firm hand to guide you.  You’re confused.”

“I can’t believe Master Ganondorf left me here,” Ghirahim tried to keep his breathing under control, “He couldn’t have known you were a lunatic!”

“Be nice,” Sidon warned, “Or I’ll put the collar back on.  Do you want that?”

“I want to go home, you monster!” Ghirahim snapped.

“You’ll feel better in a moment,” Sidon assured him.

“You’ll be ok,” Link said, softly.

“I’M NOT GOING TO BE OK, YOU INSUFFERABLE TOY!” Ghirahim shrieked, “HE’S GOING TO RAPE M-”

Sidon pressed the gag back into his mouth and drew it tight.

“No screaming,” Sidon warned, “Be good.”

“Sidon, what does that mean?” Link asked.

“Nothing,” Sidon said as he picked up a pair of scissors, “I have come to the conclusion, darling, that Ghirahim says a great many things that he doesn’t understand.  He’s parroting his former master.  He likes to hear himself speak.”

Ghirahim shook his head so hard his hair made noise, and tried to speak around the gag.  Link was fairly sure he was repeating, “ _ I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, _ ” over and over, but that gave way to incoherent screaming at the first sound of scissors snipping through fabric.  In order to remove his clothes, yet keep him restrained, Sidon was forced to cut them off, and the sight made Link’s heart ache.  Ghirahim loved his clothes.

It got worse when he got to the shirt.  Ghirahim may have thought that he would leave it, because it was not, in the strictest sense, necessary for what they were going to do.  It felt like an added insult, and he bit down hard on the gag, and his teeth, strong enough to chew through wood, split it in half at the seam.

“You uncultured goron!” Ghirahim snapped, “Demise got this for me and you’ve destroyed it!  I am physically sick with anger!”

“By Nayru’s gossamer wings,” Sidon said with annoyance when he saw the strap fall away, “Stop destroying things.”

“You hypocrite!” Ghirahim hissed as Sidon pulled the last stripes of fabric away.

“Well,” Sidon said with approval, “He looks like he was made for this, doesn’t he, darling?”

“You’re beautiful,” Link said, in awe, but his eyes were drawn to the scar on his chest.

“Did you think I didn’t know that?” Ghirahim snarled, “Did you think this was my first day out of doors and master had forbade mirrors in the house?  I was bred for beauty.  Now let me go!”

“Why would I do that when you’re finally having fun?” Sidon asked.

“What part about this could conceivably be fun for me?  Are you actually delusional?  Do you have no contact with reality?”  Ghirahim cut himself off with an angry hiss.

“A good bunny never lies,” Sidon said as he squeezed Ghirahim’s erection, and Link tried very hard not to stare.

“Don’t flatter yourself, human,” Ghirahim sneered, “that’s not for you, nor is it a particularly rare occurrence.  Certainly not enough to be considered a compliment.”  He looked Link dead in the eye when he spoke again, “It’s just that no one has ever caught me off-guard before.  Certainly not some pretty little toy with terrible tastes.”

“You like Link,” Sidon pulled Ghirahim closer by the chest, then thought better of it and held him by the hair, facing away from him so he couldn’t bite.  “He is beautiful, isn’t he?  And he fought for me.”

“If your plan is just to jerk me off while complimenting Link, we’re well on our way,” Ghirahim laughed, a laugh not of mirth, but of desperation.  “When I get out of this, Sidon, I will destroy you.  There will not be enough left to bury.”

“Is that so?” Sidon asked as if he was mildly interested.  “I’m being nice,” he said as he threw Ghirahim forward, and Link winced as he landed on his face.  “I’m trying to help you.  You need to learn to submit.”

“Do you think about the things you’re going to say before you speak, or is this all just stream of consciousness?” Ghirahim asked, “Because very often you say things as if you think I, or anyone of any sense, would actually believe them.”

Sidon elected not to respond, Link watched him slicking up his cock instead.  Ghirahim was trying to push himself back up into a sitting position, because as he was, knees forced apart and legs under him, he felt vulnerable and exposed, which had, of course, been the point.  But Sidon leaned forward with one hand on his shoulder.

“Sidon,” Ghirahim warned, “Do not do this.”

“Shss,” Sidon squeezed the shoulder he held, “You’ll feel better soon, cuddlebunny.”

Link was concerned.  Ghirahim hadn’t been prepped at all!  It was going to hurt!  He sat the cake in his lap on the floor.

Ghirahim merely grunted in pain, which seemed to annoy Sidon, who seemed to have been expecting screams.  Ghirahim stared off into space, in sheer disbelief, and there was no life behind his eyes.  He was apparently disconnected, like someone asleep.  He certainly wasn’t present in the moment at all.

“There, now doesn’t that feel better?” Sidon asked, “Nice and full like you’re supposed to be, you little cumdumpster?”

Ghirahim blinked, opened his mouth, closed it, and stared at the nothing behind Link.

Sidon thrust hard into Ghirahim, but still he said nothing, did nothing, saw nothing.  So he smacked him full across the face, hard enough for Link to feel it where he was sitting.

“Pay attention!” Sidon demanded.

“Fine!” Ghirahim snapped back to reality with a fury, “What?  What the fuck do you want?”

“Doesn’t that feel better?” Sidon asked between clenched teeth as he slammed forward again.

“Link,” Ghirahim said with malice in his voice, “I feel so sorry for you.  You probably think this is what a dick is supposed to feel like.”

Link arched an eyebrow at him, in sympathy and confusion.  Why was he doing this?  Why was he trying to make Sidon mad?

“When Demise fucks you,” Ghirahim went on, bouncing with the impact, “You know you’re being fucked.  He doesn’t have to resort to violence to get a response.”

“Be quiet,” Sidon grabbed him by the hair and jerked so hard he lifted his torso from the floor.

“His dick is easily twice as big as Sidon’s,” Ghirahim continued, apparently completely undisturbed, “And he doesn’t fuck me like I’m made of glass.  They can feel it downstairs.”

“You ungrateful little…  if you want it rough, you need only ask,” Sidon jerked forward faster, harder, and Link watched that thing in his eyes rise to the surface.

“You don’t know how to fuck,” Ghirahim told him, smiled, and said, cold as ice, “Bunnies never lie.”

Sidon shoved him down so hard Link heard the crack when his head hit the hardwood.  It was enough to daze him, because when he spoke again it was a little slurred, a little disconnected.  

“More violence, how original.  On the floor, too, like an animal.  Link, darling, please.  Tell me he fucks you on the bed.”

“Shut up!” Sidon demanded, and wrapped a hand around Ghirahim’s throat.

“My windpipe?” Ghirahim’s voice was strained, but not silenced, “Demise can choke me properly, like I choked you.  You can’t do anything right.”

Link had never seen Sidon so unhinged, with so much rage so close to the surface.

“You realize, Ghirahim,” Sidon told him through clenched teeth, “That Demise will never fuck you again?  That you will never have that again?”

Ghirahim tried to cough, and his voice was broken and raspy when he spoke.

“What was that?  I can’t hear you over the terrible time I’m having.”

Sidon made a sound that Link had never heard before, one that he didn’t understand, and changed his position so that he was on his feet instead of his knees, with his hands on either side of Ghirahim’s head, so that he could thrust with his entire body.  Ghirahim took a deep breath once his throat was free, and fell into a coughing fit.

“Is this what you wanted, whore?” Sidon asked in his ear.

“I’m a whore?  Because I didn’t want to fuck you?  Do you have any actual grasp on the language you’re using?” Ghirahim laughed, and fell to coughing again.

“If you keep running your mouth you’re going to get slapped in it,” Sidon warned.

“Well, I’ll add that to my list of grievances,” Ghirahim snarled.

Link was…  confused.  Ghirahim had to be scared of this thing, this part of Sidon.  He had to be in pain.  None of this made any sense.

“Hold still,” Sidon demanded.

“As opposed to what!?” Ghirahim asked in genuine alarm, then his eyes widened and he said, “Oh- yes, that’s…  that’s closer.”

“You are not here to judge me.  You need to understand that.  You’re the one who needs to learn to submit!” Sidon pulled hard on his damaged ear, and Ghirahim began to laugh, a real laugh this time, as if he was enjoying himself.  Sidon was finally dragging little sounds out of him, little ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ and hisses.

“You are judged,” Ghirahim said, gasping in delight, “From the day you are born until the day you die.”

Sidon sat back on his knees and pulled Ghirahim up with him.

“Link, darling,” Sidon said, “he’s about to cum, come here.  Bring the cake.”

“Not if you slow down like that,” Ghirahim began, but moaned when Sidon wrapped a hand around his dick and began to pump.

“Stop holding back,” Sidon whispered, sweetly, “Let go.  It will be alright.  Everything is going to be alright.”

Ghirahim screamed and tensed when he came, and Link blinked as it splattered across his forearms.  It took him a second to understand what Sidon was doing, and when he understood, he questioned it.  It seemed like a waste of perfectly good cake, but it was more likely that Sidon expected him to still eat it.  Link didn’t understand what his obsession with eating cum was, but he was used to it.

“Ghirahim, look what you did!” Sidon accused, “You’ve made a terrible mess.  You got that all over Link.”

Ghirahim tore one eye open, then laughed.

“He doesn’t seem very disturbed,” he said, and gasped again, before yelling, “Put me down, put me down, put me down-”

“Hold still!” Sidon demanded, and pulled him closer, one hand still on his dick.

“Put me down, it’s going to slip out!” Ghirahim begged, like one who was finally afraid of punishment, and Link understood instantly.  This wasn’t a fear of Sidon; it was a fear of Demise.

Sidon hummed in approval as he said, “Yes…  clench like that.  Milk me, you little whore.”

“Please, put me down!” Ghirahim said, in the same panicked voice.

“Fine, but only because you’ve finally started asking nicely,” Sidon agreed, “Link, darling, could you move back?”

Link did, and Sidon released Ghirahim.  He tried to move, to brace himself on his arms, to slide his thighs together, but he was still stuck in his restraints.

He moaned as Sidon pulled out.

“You stay just like that,” Sidon warned as he stood.

“I was thinking about hopping down to the tavern for a drink,” Ghirahim growled.

“Do you feel better?” Sidon asked, more kindly.

“Fuck you.”

“Again?  So soon?” Sidon laughed, “Take a break for at least an hour.  Recover.”

He made his way into the bathroom, and Ghirahim sighed.

“Sidon?”

“Yes?”

“You spoke of mercy earlier.  I did what you wanted.  Take my arms out of this thing…  I’ve got that bite on my wrist and my hands are going numb.”  Ghirahim wiggled his fingers for good measure.

“You were rude,” Sidon reminded him.

“Bitch, you raped me!?  I’m supposed to be happy about that!?” Ghirahim snapped, took a deep breath through his clenched teeth, and tried to will himself back to calmness.

He heard the footsteps, and when he opened his eyes, Sidon was towering above him.  He grabbed him by the hair and jerked him back onto his knees, and stared at him, watching for a long time.  Neither looked away.  Then, he slapped him hard enough to knock him over on his side, and stood, watching him for a reaction.

“No.” Sidon said, as if he was training a dog, “Do not say that word again, for as long as you are in this house.”

“Not in front of Link, right?” Ghirahim darted his eyes to Link, who was afraid his heart was going to beat out of his chest.  “I understand.”

“Are your hands really numb?”

“Yes,” Ghirahim sighed, “Yes, Sidon, if you leave someone tied up this tightly for nearly two hours it starts causing nerve damage.  Read the instructions.  Believe it or not, this is not this little ‘cumdumpster’s’ first rodeo.”

“After I clean up, I’ll let you out.”  Sidon walked back to the bathroom.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We've got more flashbacks, more escape attempts, and cake covered in cum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I am so sorry about last week. I've been so busy that I swear to god I just didn't have the time. If I had had even a second to spare to post this, I promise that I would have. I know that people like the schedule. I didn't get a chance to sit down until Friday (the one a couple days ago) and I thought about posting this chapter then, but I figured it was so close that I might as well hold off and wait until today.
> 
> As always, I want to thank MissGillette, and suggest that everyone check out her work. She's let me use her AU and read every chapter before I post it so that I can be sure it fits into the wonderful AU she created. She's also been great with giving me feedback, and is an overall wonderful author and nice person.
> 
> Also as always, I have a tip jar if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

 

Ghirahim held still as Sidon unlaced the arm binder.

“How do you feel?” Sidon asked.

“How do I feel…” Ghirahim considered, eyes closed as if he was counting his breaths.  “I feel as if there exists no method of cleansing, regardless of the temperature or duration, that will ever make me feel truly clean after that experience.  Congratulations, Sidon. You did it. You hurt me. I suppose you’re quite proud.”

“I’m not trying to hurt you,” Sidon explained.

“I see why Link speaks so infrequently,” Ghirahim coughed, “When you choke-fuck him it must hurt for days.”

“I would never hurt Link,” Sidon said as if the concept was ridiculous, “Don’t move or it goes right back on.”

“Link,” Ghirahim asked, “Does your throat hurt when your master fucks you?”

“You’re pushing your luck,” Sidon warned, “I’m trying to be nice to you.”

“Don’t make me laugh,” Ghirahim commanded, and his chest shook as if he was holding in laughter…  or sobs. “It hurts.”

“Sidon would never hurt me,” Link said, “It’s just…  kind of uncomfortable.”

“Sex is supposed to feel good, Link.  I feel as if I shouldn’t have to explain that.”  Ghirahim sighed, as if he was talking to a child.  Then, to Sidon, he asked, “Who’s dick do I have to suck to get a shower around here?  Yours?”

“Maybe after you eat,” Sidon closed the new cuffs around Ghirahim’s wrists, and it was a vast improvement.  He could move most of his arm joints now, and they weren’t tight enough to cut off his circulation.

“Is this your kindness?” Ghirahim asked, rolling his shoulders.

“Eat,” Sidon said as he stood, and clapped Ghirahim on the shoulder.

Ghirahim cocked his head to the side and watched him walk to the bed, where he sat to scroll through his phone.  Sidon had decided that it was better to just not engage in his nonsense or acknowledge his insults.

“Elaborate,” Ghirahim demanded.  When Sidon said nothing, he barked, “SIDON!”

Sidon ignored him, and Ghirahim growled and tugged at his new bonds.

“Can I feed him, Sidon?” Link asked.

“Honestly, darling, your kindness knows no bounds,” Sidon said without looking up from the screen, “If you like.”

Ghirahim tilted his head at the look Link gave the cake.

“What’s wrong with it?” He asked.

“It’s uh…” Link said quietly, “Cum.  That’s your cum… all over it. And it’s cold…”

“Is that all?” Ghirahim prodded, “Nothing else?”

Link shook his head.

“I suppose he thinks that makes it less appealing,” Ghirahim shrugged, “But it’s still cake.”

Link could see the logic in that, and he cut a bite.  Ghirahim rolled his eyes and took it.

“I need a drink,” Ghirahim lamented, “The strongest you have.”

Sidon continued to ignore him.

“SIDON!”

“No,” Sidon said simply, “Eat, and if I think you’ve earned it we may clean you off.  Then you’re going to take a sleeping potion and try to heal. You’ve worn out my patience, which, Link will tell you, is a difficult task.  Do not speak to me again.”

“You have no patience,” Ghirhaim growled.

“Please stop being so mean,” Link held out another bite of cake for him.

“We need to talk,” Ghirahim said, and let Link feed him.

“You absolutely do not,” Sidon said, calmly, and Link was happy to have him back.  He liked this Sidon, even if he was a bit cold, more than the one with the fire in his eyes.

Ghirahim ate the rest of the cake without comment, but with meaning behind his eyes that Link didn’t understand.  Link didn’t understand a lot about him, certainly didn’t understand his strange obsession with causing trouble. Didn’t he know that everything was so much easier if you just gave in?  Sidon was a good person, he would protect them! And he liked bunnies. Ghirahim was almost impossible to like, had gone out of his way to make himself unlikable.

“He finished it!” Link said proudly, sitting on his knees with the empty plate, “And he didn’t try to bite me or talk.  He was really good.”

“Finally,” Sidon huffed.  “Would you mind taking that plate to the kitchen, darling?”

Link hopped up to perform his little errand, and Sidon took a few long strides to Ghirahim’s suitcase.

“So about that shower,” Ghirahim began, but Sidon cut him off.

“I told you not to speak to me again,” Sidon explained as he opened the medical bag.  Link had reorganized Ghirahim’s suitcase, and everything inside was neat and orderly again.  Sidon stood, walked to Ghirahim, and knelt to be more on his level. He grabbed him by the hair and held him, taking in the expression of hate that contorted his pretty face.

“You are…  so broken little bunny,” Sidon said at length, “I want to try to fix you, but you have to let me.”

“Are you sure your nose isn’t broken?” Ghirahim asked.

“I wish I had more time,” Sidon went on.  “I’ll begin in earnest in the morning. For now, you really do need to rest.  You’re not a Hylian. I know that. You’re only parroting your master. I cannot allow myself to get angry with you.  Take this potion, and rest. Starting tomorrow, all your privileges are revoked. We’ll let you earn them back, but you have to put in the work.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Ghirahim snarled.

“Drink this or I’ll pour it down your throat,” Sidon warned, “You’ll want to start working with me.”

Ghirahim, defiant to the end, had to be held down, but he was bound, and Sidon had every advantage, so though he did spill some of it, Sidon managed to shove the bottle not just into his mouth, but down his throat until he choked, and only removed it once it was empty.  Ghirahim was forced to swallow or drown, and when Sidon stood with the empty bottle, he fell into a coughing fit.

* * *

 

“You’re so beautiful,” Demise looped the cuffs through one of the ornamental designs of the wrought iron headboard.  “How does that feel?”

“Tighter, master,” Ghirahim purred as he tried out the plush cuffs that cradled his wrists.  The insides were lined with a soft fabric, and prevented him from hurting himself.

“Are you already in subspace?  Do you know where you are?” Demise asked, running one  hand up and down Ghirahim’s bare stomach.

“Almost exactly where I should be,” Ghirahim arched up into the touch, “I only need you over me.  Let me submit to you, master, please! Use me!”

“I will, don’t worry about that,” Demise smiled down at him, then grabbed one of his wrists in both hands, checking the restraints.  When he got like this, if you left Ghirahim to his own devices, he would let you kill him. He needed supervision. He hadn’t wanted a meek personality, per say, it was the wrong word- weak people held no place in his life.  Ghirahim was never meek, and already he was getting antsy. Soon he would start complaining if he didn’t get what he wanted.

“You did well today,” He said slowly, and Ghirahim shuddered at the sound of his voice.  “You scared the hell out of that little failure, didn’t you?”

“You don’t deserve the trouble you have to put up with, master,” Ghirahim gazed up at him with pity in those pretty red eyes, “If I could take away all your trials, I would.”

“I know.  You’re a big help, my pretty little pet.”  Demise reached out to stroke his face, “You’re perfect.  Do you want to feel how perfectly we fit together?”

“Please?” Ghirahim arched up as far as he could, begging for a kiss, “Please take me, master.”

“Are you ready?” Demise chuckled as he spread his pet’s legs open and let his eyes follow the curves of his body, “Did you prepare well for me?  Or were you too distracted? Do I need to do it myself?”

“I’m ready!  I’ve been ready!  Please!” Ghirahim tried to push down, to get closer to him, but he was stopped by the chain that bound him, and whinned in frustration.

“Then you will get everything you want,”  Demise smiled, and arranged a pillow between Ghirahim’s head and the metal behind him to keep him from slamming into it.

“Master, please!” Ghirahim begged.

Demise held him down with one hand while he checked the nightstand to make sure he had everything he needed.  His wine was chilled, his cigarette case and an ornate lighter lay beside it; a bowl of grapes and all the normal trappings of nightlife sat at the base of the lamp; on the bed with them he still had the bottle of lube and a small plug- everything was in order.  Everything was perfect, prepared, meticulous- the way he liked it.

“Please,” Ghirahim begged again.

Demise held the headboard as Ghirahim welcomed him inside.  The little bunny had to appreciate the pillow as he lolled back against it, mouth hanging open in ecstasy, eyes already blown open in desire.  He felt like heaven, like perfection, like he had been born and bred for this. 

He fought his chains, rattling the headboard Demise held, and the man marveled at his strength.  His training was paying off, and his tone, lyth body wriggled beneath him as he wrapped his legs around Demise’s waist to pull him closer.

“How does that feel, pet?” He asked.

Ghirahim had forgotten words, and seemed to have forgotten he was in a situation where he would need those skills, so he blinked up at Demise and smiled.  He leaned up and licked a long strip along his chest to buy himself time, trying to remember the very concept of language, the sounds that stood for symbols, and how to apply it.

Finally, he begged, “More,” and the bed began to shake.

He didn’t recover an extensive vocabulary, but did remember enough to work with, small words and phrases like, “Yes,” “Please,” “Good, so good,” but his favorite words, repeated over and over in so many inflections, pitches, and volumes that he seemed to be trying to create a new language of only those two sounds, were “Master,” and “Demise”.

He came with a cry of the former, and Demise felt him ride it out without slowing.  The cuddlebunnies recovered quickly, and he would cum again with him before they were finished.  Maybe more than twice, though that was rare, and perhaps, an act of mercy. Demise didn’t like for them to sleep too soundly.  A man in his position needed someone he could trust in his bed, someone fairly alert.

Ghirahim was not just a pretty little plaything, he was a bodyguard.  And Demise loved watching him get high on his own importance, his own sense of power- he loved to watch him lord it over others, especially humans.  What he had done to Blind was not a particularly rare occurrence. It was good for morale, to have a pet that inspired fear. Some people kept large dogs, dobermans and the like, but Ghirahim-

It was the better option, much better, Demise decided as he listened to him moan and giggle.  He was very nearly human. And he knew exactly what he was doing.

Ghirahim’s eyes shot open and he screamed in pleasure as his second orgasm overtook him.  It was so intense he completely forgot everything for a moment; his vision blurred, his ears rang, and his entire body tingled.  His mind whited out, and there was only pleasure, safety, and the sense of rightness, the overwhelming knowledge that he was, in that moment, exactly what he was supposed to be.  Everything was right with the world as his body slumped against the mattress, as his master’s white-hot cum filled him. He heard him say something, but his brain refused to interpret the sound in any meaningful way- it would break the spell, it assured him, and he believed it.  There was nothing he needed to do right now anyway, apart from exist. He was exactly what he should be. He was perfect.

He nearly cried when Demise pulled out and robbed him of that perfection, but that was what the plug was for- it would keep his master’s seed inside him where it belonged, and keep him almost full while he came down.  He only began to protest in earnest when he felt Demise freeing his wrists.

“No!” He begged.

“Why not?” Demise smiled down at him, noted the glaze in his eyes, and realized he needed to ask more simple questions, “Do you want to keep these on?”

“Please?”

“Alright.  But I’m taking off the chain so you can move,” Demise leaned down to kiss his forehead, but Ghirahim moved and caught him on the lips.  His master pulled back after only a few seconds, fully aware of how quickly that could reignite the spark that didn’t need reigniting.

“We’re finished for now, baby,” he explained, and disconnected the chain from the cuffs, “Sit up and have a drink.  I’ll hold you.”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim snuggled into his side and allowed Demise to pull a sheet over them, despite the heat that still coursed through him.  He drank the cup he was handed, and slowly began to remember where he was.

There was some sort of commercial on the television when his body and mind finally reconnected with each other.

“Holy hell,” he said, “that was amazing.”

“You always say that,” Demise laughed, and tilted Ghirahim’s face up by the chin, “I think you may be taking advantage of an old man’s charity.”

“I’ll take anything you’re willing to give me,” Ghirahim smirked.

“There’s my little smart-ass.  Nice to see you back with me.” Demise handed him a cigarette, then held the lighter steady while he inhaled.  “I was serious earlier. I don’t know if you heard me. Good work, today.”

“Thank you, master.”

“By the goddesses,” Demise stared at him, the way his body moved as he leaned back into the pillow to inhale, the cloud of smoke he exhaled, the pretty way his face fell into an easy smile…  the contentment was contagious. He knew, on some level, that it was a bit sad that he had to create something, pay money for someone, in order to have someone who would truly, fully love him.  Someone who would never leave, never think to. Ghirahim caught him staring and smiled.

“Like what you see, master?” He asked, “Ready for round two?”

“I love you, do you know that?” Demise asked, and Ghirahim blinked up at him.  It was a rare, welcome admission, and held sincerity.

“I know.  I love you, too, master,” he said, “I was made for you.  I’m perfect for you.” He shrugged, giggled, and added, “Of course, I am perfect in general, as well, so…”

“Well, I do have expensive tastes,” Demise took a drink of his wine and pulled Ghirahim to his chest, “You are the best of the best.  Never forget that. Never allow anyone to make you forget. You’re perfect. You’re mine.”

“You deserve perfection, master.” Ghirahim said and reached over him for the ashtray.

“Hylia’s going to be a problem,” Demise said after some time, snuffing his own cigarette out, “Blind’s right about that.”

“You’ve moved on twice,” Ghirahim hated Hylia, and hated that he knew so much about her.  But, he reminded himself, Demise didn’t talk about her because he liked her, but because they were rivals.  “She needs to get over it. She’s obsessed with you. Doesn’t she have a new husband and a kid or something?  Why doesn’t she concentrate on that? You’re too good for her.”

“I don’t know, but she’s cutting into my business.” Demise said, thinking aloud.

“We haven’t been to Hyrule in a while,” Ghirahim reminded him, “maybe she’s not scared of you anymore.  Maybe she thinks you won’t challenge her. Maybe she’s forgotten who’s in charge.”

“Perhaps,” Demise said, and allowed Ghirahim to crawl into his lap to put out the cigarette and drain the last of his glass.  He picked up a grape and stuck it into his mouth.

“Let’s not talk about work, cuddlebunny,” Demise said as he watched him slowly pick them off the vine.

“What should we talk about then?” Ghirahim asked.

“Just let me relax,” Demise ran his hands up and down Ghirahim’s sides, “Let’s forget the rest of the world and just wind down.”

 

* * *

 

_ Relax. _  Ghirahim thought.   _ Keep your breathing steady.  Keep your muscles relaxed. Let them think you’re still asleep. _

The room was dark now, except for the glow of the fire; it must have been gas to burn so consistently.  The silence put him on edge. He was still on the floor, lying on his stomach now, but someone, Link if he had to guess, had provided him with a pillow and moved him from the hardwood to the rug.  He couldn’t see much from where he was, but he thought that at least Sidon, and probably Link as well, were in the bed. The silence told him that they were probably asleep, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

He leaned back as far as he could, felt the stretch in his back, and thanked Demise for his instance on exercise routines.  It had probably mostly been to keep him nice and limber for sex, to provide comfort in strange positions, but now he just really needed to get his hands on the clasp for that spreader bar that held his thighs open.

_ Relax _ , he reminded himself.  He had the bar but it was too low down to get to the clasp.  But he had tensed, had been in the middle of a fight, when Sidon had put the straps on his thighs, and as long as he relaxed he could pull it up, get it closer.  That was probably as far as it was going to go.

He damned the vet who had cut his nails as he tried to work the mechanism that kept the bar locked to the bonds.  He felt an o-ring, something he was familiar with, but the bar was attached with one of those damn clasps that you had to pull down!

_ Stay calm.  Relax. _

He pulled it free and took a deep breath as he slid his thighs together.  The stiffness in his muscles burned at the unfamiliar sensation, and he wondered how long Sidon had kept him tied up like that, how long he had planned to keep him like that if he hadn’t gotten free.  The chain on his ankles made a sound as it slid down and off the bar, ridiculously loud in the quiet room.

No one moved from the bed.

He sat up on his knees and slid his hands over his tail, then sat back.  His shoulders protested as he scooted over his trapped wrists, and tucked his knees under his chin.  He brought his hands under his feet and over his legs and looked down at the wrist straps. They would be easy to chew through, but they might be Link’s, and he would hate to break them.  They were the leather kind that sealed like a belt, so he brought his wrists to his mouth, and pulled the strap from the buckle with his teeth on the right restraint. When his hand was free he pulled the other wrist free and quickly set about taking the rest of the bonds off.

The overpowering thirst was what was going to get him in the end, he thought.  And he would kill a man in front of his own mother for a cigarette.

He kept his mouth shut as he rolled every joint and tested every muscle.  His body ached, and the first step was going to be fixing that so he would be in fighting shape.  He crouched as he made his way to the suitcase, which was lying by the bed, and stood slowly.

Sidon was right there, right in front of him, dead to the world.  His chest rose and fell with Link’s little face snuggled into it, and it would be so easy to tear out his exposed throat.

Goddamn, Ghirahim was thirsty.

Sore.

Tired.

He picked up the phone that was charging on the nightstand without making a sound.  It was the same model as Demise’s, the newest one, and he held his breath as he stood over Sidon and turned it on.  He held the phone above him, and let it scan his serene, sleeping face. He pulled back, quick and silent, and smiled at the unlocked home screen.  He looked up over this small victory and froze.

Link stared back at him, awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is interested, I think I mentioned before that I'm trying to write a book. I got the advice to read it out loud- people say it helps you catch mistakes that aren't as obvious when reading silently- so I've been doing that. I've also been recording myself. I'm thinking of uploading these recordings to youtube, so that it would be like an audiobook (kind of, I'm not a voice actor and my reading isn't very good like it would be with a professional, but it is the story, which is what I'm concerned with). If I do that and post beta reader questions in the video descriptions, would anyone be interested in betaing that way?
> 
> I really need help and I've found that my beta readers really only tend to stick around with the first two or three chapters, but I thought that it might be easier to listen to it than to read it. If that's something anyone would be interested in, please let me know. I really need help, like... all the help. The manuscript is about 30,000 words longer than it needs to be, and I need to know all the normal stuff about how poorly/well it's written, how the characters come off, how the story structure flows, etc.
> 
> It is literally 50% flashbacks (maybe a little more) so I am throwing that out there- because I understand that there is this movement (which I have already made my hatred of clear) to do away with flashbacks in literature completely (to the overall detriment to society). So if you're one of those people who are opposed to flashbacks, you will hate it from the first chapter. It literally opens with a flashback to set the tone for the book, and it is incredibly important to me that it be structured that way so as to be respectful rather than exploitive.
> 
> Anyhow, just let me know if that's something anyone would be interested in. If it is, I might put them up and try to get feedback that way, because god knows how badly I need it.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A heart to heart talk, more Ganondorf for anyone who had been missing him, and Link gets banned from taking baths without Sidon because he can't seem to get into a bathtub without getting in trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I knew I could make a post on time if I really put my mind to it!
> 
> All normal warnings apply for this chapter too.
> 
> I want to thank MissGillette, for everything she's done, and encourage anyone who hasn't read her work to head over there right now and dive in!
> 
> As always, I have a tip jar and you can feel free to put a dollar in it: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Link stared up at Ghirahim, standing over them holding Sidon’s phone.  He didn’t know how he had gotten loose. Ghirahim stared back, and the silence dragged on, until Ghirahim put a finger to his lips and pointed at the bathroom.

Link knew this was a bad idea.  He should scream, or shake Sidon, or do anything to wake him up.  Instead, he slowly crawled out of the bed and followed Ghirahim. Ghirahim shut the door behind them and flicked on the light, then knelt by his suitcase.

“Ok Navi,” he said to the phone, and it made a sound, “Open Tingle Maps.  Current Location to Dragmire Estate, Imperial District, Lorule.”

Link didn’t know the phone could talk, and was shocked when it said.

“Estimated travel time, Six hours and 51 minutes.” 

“Walking path,” Ghirahim said.

“Estimated travel time, 168 hours.”

“That’s…  such a huge difference,” Ghirahim huffed and unzipped the suitcase.  “I need a car.”

Link sat on the closed lid of the toilet and watched him drink another potion, and thought of how they didn’t have an infinite amount.  After a few minutes he spoke.

“Did you want to talk to me about something?” He asked.

“I want you to come with me.” Ghirahim stood, turned on the sink, and guzzled the tap water with disgust.  He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, looking as if he had just tasted poison, then said, “I can get your tracking device out.  I’m fairly sure it’s in your back, I think I saw it. I’m going home.”

“No, thank you,” Link stared up at him.

“This is not what your life should be.  You can’t be happy here. You’re a toy; you aren’t made for this.  I’m made for it and I can’t stand him.” Ghirahim huffed, “But you can stay with me on Demise’s estate.  It’s huge, Link, given what you’re used to. I still have the playplace I used when I was young, and toys never really grow up, do you?  There are pits full of foam and such for digging, toys to amuse yourself with, games, oh- and we could get you some real clothes… I don’t know how to find human children, but they hardly seem like a scarce resource.”

That…  actually sounded really fun.  

But it wasn’t real.  It may have been, at one time, but there was no Demise anymore, and Ghirahim wasn’t going home.

And Link could never go back to being a toy bunny.  He may still have those interests, still hold true to the thing he was bred to be, but there was more to him now.  Now that he understood adult love and physical affection, now that he had awakened that need for sex and people kisses, he didn’t think he could go without it.

So he shook his head.

“I’m not a toy bunny anymore, and I want to stay with Sidon.  And you should too.”

“Why would I do that?” Ghirahim asked as he stepped into the shower, still holding the phone.

“Because you don’t have anywhere else to go. He’s right.”

Ghirahim sat down in the tub and started tapping on the phone, just like Sidon always did.  Link watched curiously before he finally asked, “What does that do?”

“What does what do?” Ghirahim asked without looking up.

“The phone.  Sidon always uses it.”

Ghirahim stopped and stared up at him as if he was angry about something, then took a deep breath, and calmly asked, “You don’t know how to use a phone, do you?”

Link shook his head.

“Do you know how to work a computer?”

Link shook his head again.

“Tablet?”

Link shook his head.  He didn’t know how to do any of that.  There was no reason he should. Those things belonged to Sidon, and he had never really thought about it.

“Do you know anything about the world other than what your master tells you?  All the books in your room are for bunnies or children. Do you read news or…”  He took in Link’s confused face and shook his head, “That son-of-a-bitch. By the goddesses, Link, your world is so small.”

“What I’m doing,” he continued, “Is going through Sidon’s phone book.  I know Master Ganondorf has called him before, and I have a fairly good idea of what his number is.  I’ll know it when I see it.”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to use the phone without Sidon,” Link said, knowing Ghirahim wouldn’t care.  He added, because he thought it might be more compelling, “Would Mr Ganondorf want to talk right now? It’s nighttime.”

“He needs to know what I’ve been through,” Ghirahim huffed.

Link thought that perhaps if he gave him enough rope, he would hang himself.

Ghirahim didn’t put the phone to the side of his face like Sidon did- it was meant to fit a Hylian, sized so that they could hold the top to their ear and the bottom to their mouth.  Instead, he held it in front of him, and the sound of ringing filled the bathroom. Then, the sound of a voice.

“It is stupid o’clock in the morning,” the voice was gravely and full of sleep, “What the hell did he do?  Did he bite your rabbit?”

“Master Ganondorf!” Ghirahim began, but he was instantly cut off.

“Why the hell are you calling me?  Why the hell is your trainer letting you call me?  It is- holy hell it is four in the morning. Have you lost your mind?” The interest turned to full-blown annoyance, just as Link had predicted.

“I took Sidon’s phone,” Ghirahim explained, “And I had to jump through quite a few hoops to do it.  Master, I am miserable here! He tried to lock me up, he tied me down and left me for hours, he refused to feed me-”

“Stop talking,” Ganondorf instructed, “Where is he?  Is there a human person I can talk to or is this just…  fuck’s sake you didn’t tear  _ him  _ apart, did you?”

“Not yet,” Ghirahim hissed, “I’m debating it.  Master, he’s a monster! He’s done horrible things, he-”

“You sound fine.” Ganondorf cut him off again.

“Master, please!  He tied me up and forced himself on me, he refused to give me any potions for my injuries, he-” Ghirahim tried again, and Link knew he would get nowhere.

“Are you hurt?” Ganondorf asked him, “Do you need to go to a vet or something?  Are these new injuries or the ones I already had treated?”

“Master, please come and get me!  Come and get me or I’m going home!”

“There is no home, Ghirahim,” Ganondorf explained, “That place is crawling with cops.  They think they’re gonna find something. I am NOT discussing this over the phone with a rabbit.  Go to bed.”

“I’m a bunny,” Ghirahim looked exhausted, and Link saw panic seeping in, “What do you mean the estate is crawling with cops?”

“I’m not discussing this over the phone.  Go to bed!”

“Master, come and get me!” Ghirahim demanded.

“Does that Sidon know that you took his phone?” Ganondorf asked.

“No.”

“Ghirahim,” he said, with the tone of a man who had run out of patience, “Do not call me again unless it’s an emergency.  Do not steal things from your trainer. You’re going to stay right there, and you had better do exactly what he tells you.  And if you try to escape, try to pretend you still have a home in Lorule, you had better pray that the cops find you before I do.”

“But he raped me!” Ghirahim snarled, “I…  you can’t possibly expect me to stay here after-”

“That’s ridiculous.  You’re a sex toy, you can’t be raped.” Ganondorf said dismissively, and Link watched Ghirahim’s hands begin to shake so badly he nearly dropped the phone.  “Now you listen to me. You are going to stay there, you are going to learn how to be around people, and when you have to go to trial, you are going to say EXACTLY what he gives you to say, do you understand me?  You are going to behave, and we are going to see that bitch go down. You are a tool, and you are going to be useful, or you  _ will _ be put down!  I won’t let you hurt us.  You are not going to get up there and slip up, or I will bring the hand of goddess down on you.  Do you understand?”

“Master, please,” Ghirahim began, but was once again cut off.

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?” Ganondorf bellowed.

“No, master,” Ghirahim held the phone in one hand and tore at his hair with the other, “I don’t…  I haven’t… haven’t understood anything since… since she attacked Demise.”

“Since she killed him,” Ganondorf corrected, “Do you know what it feels like for me to have say that?  Over and over? To a goddamn pet?”

“No, master.”  Ghirahim said, and Link was afraid he was going to cry.

“Say it!” Ganondorf commanded, “Say ‘since she killed him’.”

“I can’t, master.  A good bunny never lies,” Ghirahim dug the heel of his hand into one of his eyes, and Link was right, there were tears pooling there.

“It isn’t a lie!  BECAUSE HE IS DEAD!” the phone shook with the heat of his conviction, “Now say it!”

“Since the night she…  the night she… killed him.” Ghirahim choked out the words, and Link knew what it was like to say a truth that you didn’t want to admit.  It felt as if you spoke it into being.

“You will follow my every command, or perish,” Ganondorf said, and Link was afraid of him.

“Yes, master.” Ghirahim was obviously trying not to sob.

“I’m going back to bed.  Don’t call me again unless there is a real emergency and I am the only one who can fix it.”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim said to no one, because Ganondorf had hung up on him.  Then he buried his face in his knees and took in too much air, so much he was drowning in it.  Link heard the plastic of the phone making sounds in Ghirahim’s grip, and knew he had to get it away from him before he broke it.  He reached out to try to take it away, but Ghirahim sat up, convulsing with silent laughter while tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Give me the phone, ok?” Link held out his hand.

“You don’t know how to use it.” Ghirahim said, and the madness was back in his eyes.  “Why don’t you go wake your master, little bunny? Get me in trouble. See what new hell he comes up with.”

Link shook his head.

“Why not?” 

“I…  still…” Link scrambled, trying to slow down his thoughts long enough to put them into words.  It still came with great difficulty, and sometimes the end of a sentence would flee, be replaced by a million other thoughts, in the time it took his mouth to form the beginning.

“Why are you so mean?” Link eventually said.

Ghirahim, apparently ignoring him, spoke to the phone again.

“Ok Navi,” he said, “How to train a bunny with a shock collar.”

“Results for: How to Train a Bunny With a Shock Collar.” She replied, and Link was still amazed that the phone was alive.

Ghirahim scrolled down the page quickly, reading aloud.

“Step 1: Read the instructions, Step 2: Attach to the bunny’s neck, blah blah blah- ah, here we are.  ‘Allow the bunny to wear the collar for at least one week before activation. The pet should associate the pain with the bad behavior, not the collar’.”  Ghirahim stared at Link when he spoke to the phone again, “Ok Navi, how long should you leave a bunny in bondage?”

“Results for: How Long Should You Leave a Bunny in Bondage,” She answered.

“It is never recommended,” Ghirahim read with fire in his voice, “to leave a pet alone while they are bound.  Bunnies are skittish by nature and even the most expert owner can risk poor circulation, nerve damage, muscle stiffness, suffocation and/or  _ death _ .  Constant supervision is required.  During play, check your pet for common signs of distress- look, you get the point.  Your master doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. He’s going to hurt one or both of us.  I feel like you already know that.”

“Does she know everything?” Link asked.  He was having difficulty believing a phone over Sidon.  He wasn’t even sure how the phone worked.

“Who?” Ghirahim asked, pretending that he hadn’t just been crying and trying to regain his arrogance.

“The phone,” Link pointed at it.

“It’s not…  This is a site run by a vet.” Ghirahim rubbed his eyes.  “Right. You’re stupid. Link, there is a vast network of information called the internet.  I’m using the phone to access it. It isn’t stored on the phone.”

“I’m not stupid.” Link narrowed his eyes.

“Perhaps not.”  Ghirahim sighed and leaned forward to fill the tub, “I suppose it would do me no good to leave.”  He stared at the ceiling when he said, “I have nowhere to go.”

“You might like us if you give us a chance,” Link told him.

“I don’t dislike you,” Ghirahim told him, “Not in the slightest.  I feel sorry for you, little toy.”

“Why?” Link asked.

Ghirahim was back on the phone, flipping through photos.

“Link,” he said conversationally, “Do you think sex is supposed to hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt,” Link said, looking at the shower curtain.  “I’m just not good at it, so sometimes I… mess it up or I get confused.”

“I’m not confused.” Ghirahim said, flipping through pictures of Link, “I was bred for it.  I’ve probably fucked more people than you’ve met. Demise used to have parties for his financiers- a house full of pretty bunnies like me.  And if anyone there had treated me the way Sidon did, my master would have had them tortured to death. He loves me.” He stopped scrolling and looked at the wall.  “...loved me.”

“You played with other bunnies?” Link said curiously.  The thought had never crossed his mind. Ghirahim didn’t exactly seem like the kind of person who played nice with others.  “In your playplace or…”

“As a cuddlebunny, Link,” Ghirahim sighed, annoyed, “That’s the context.  Pay attention. I’m trying to explain to you that I know what sex is supposed to be, and your master is doing it wrong.  Even a little shelter toy deserves better.”

Link didn’t know enough about the subject to argue, so he said, “I love Sidon.”

“I feel as if you would love anyone who showed you the least bit of affection.  You have a low opinion of yourself.” Ghirahim stopped and looked up at him. 

Link still really wanted to get the phone from him.  It seemed like it knew everything on that ‘internet’, and he was scared that Ghirahim would ask it about Demise and see that lady, Hylia.  Ganondorf said that pictures of her made him angry, and Link didn’t want to see him any more angry. He thought it may set him off.

“Can I play with the phone?  I’ve never… touched it without Sidon before.” 

“I do hope I’m a terrible influence on you,” Ghirahim chuckled and handed Link the phone.  The tub was full of water now, and he stood to gather supplies from the shelves that lined the inside of the shower.  Link remembered earlier that he had said he felt dirty.

“Toy bunnies,” Link said to the phone, but it did nothing.

“Ok Navi,” Ghirahim said, “Toy bunnies.”

“Results for: Toy bunnies.” The phone replied, and Link smiled.  The screen filled with pictures of children and bunnies playing together.

“Does he fuck you in the shower?” Ghirahim asked, and Link looked up to see him holding a bottle of lube.  He nodded instead of answering and went back to looking at the phone. He used his thumb to move the pictures, as he had seen Ghirahim do, and read the words below them, but they all seemed to end before they were supposed to, sometimes in the middle of a sentence.

“Do you want to fool around?” Ghirahim asked, and Link arched an eyebrow at him.  The question confused him after the way Ghirahim had acted with Sidon. Why would he be so mean to Sidon, yet so nice to him?

“You bit Ravio,” Link told him.

“You bit me!” Ghirahim tapped the bandage on his wrist.  He had taken so many potions since then that it was probably all healed up.

“The last time I got in the bath with another bunny,” Link remembered, “I got in trouble.”

“I won’t tell if you won’t,” Ghirahim purred, “come on, pretty bunny.  You know if he sees you he’ll blame me. I’m the bad bunny who is corrupting your innocent soul.”

Link knew he shouldn’t do this, no more than he should have gotten in the tub with Ravio when he was drunk.  He should go back to bed, or go wake up Sidon. But he wanted to help Ghirahim, and if he wanted some bunny to play with…

“If I play with you, will you be good for Sidon?” Link asked.

“You’re no fun,” Ghirahim scowled.

“I don’t like watching you get hurt,” Link said.  “He won’t hurt you if you’re good.”

“Little Toy, I doubt that,” Ghirahim huffed.

“Really.  He can be nice.” Link said as he sat the phone on the counter and stood, “Promise me you’ll be good, and I’ll play with you.”

“I don’t want you that badly, little toy; I was trying to do you a favor,” Ghirahim sat back in the warm water and let it sooth his sore muscles.  He hadn’t really expected Link to take him up on the offer, and was shocked to see him slowly stripping out of this clothes. Link stepped over the side of the tub and slowly, gently, lowered himself into Ghirahim’s lap.

He was also the first to break the silence, with a question that had been bothering him.

“Are you really not sorry that you hurt Ravio?  Not even a little?” He asked.

“I didn’t mean for him to get hurt,” Ghirahim reached out slowly and laid his hands on either side of Link’s waist, “Perhaps I acted in haste.  But I was under a great deal of stress, and I didn’t need his nonsense on top of it.”

“Would you have been sad if he died?” Link asked.

“Not really; I don’t even know him.” Ghirahim ran a hand through Link’s hair and admitted, “But I know you, and…  I would feel bad that my actions caused you harm. I don’t know why… but I like you.”

Link nodded.

“I want to like you back, but you make it so hard,” Link admitted.

“I will begrudgingly admit,” Ghirahim said as if he was confessing some sort of sin, “That part of me wants your opinion to hold value.  But as we stand now, your approval means nothing to me.”

Link nodded.

Ghirahim stroked his sides, and Link realized that he didn’t feel the fear he had so often associated with him.

“I’m sorry I bit you,” Link said.

“It’s healed.”

“Still…” Link took that hand in his and slowly, tentatively moved closer until he was able to kiss the bandage.  Ghirahim smiled and let him.

“Will you…” Link asked without meeting his eyes, “write Ravio?  Tell him that you didn’t mean to hurt him? That you were scared and he made it worse?”

“‘Be nice to Sidon,” Ghirahim mocked, “Apologise to Ravio’.  ‘Forget the terrible things people do to you.’ You ask a lot from me.”

“I asked for you.” Link said.  He hadn’t meant to say it- he never said things without thinking, but he didn’t like being mocked, and it felt right; more of a feeling than an answer.  It was apparently the perfect thing to say, because Ghirahim stared at him in shock and confusion before he spoke again.

“Elaborate,” he demanded.

“I asked Sidon to help you…  he didn’t want to do it. He said you were dangerous, that you would hurt me.” Link explained, playing with the hand he still held.

“...oh.”

There was silence.

“Your little friend, Ravio,” Ghirahim sighed, “You like him a lot, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you fuck him?”

“I…  play with him.  I only… Sidon fucks me.” Link explained.

“But you want to.  I can tell.” Ghirahim watched him with the sort of intensity he was only used to from people.

Link squirmed under his gaze and finally admitted, “I’ve thought about it.  He was the first person to… I got…”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Ghirahim said, still watching him.

“It’s…  stupid. You’re right.  I’m stupid.” Link sighed.  “You think Sidon is going to wake up?”

“Maybe.” Ghirahim leaned back and jostled Link, “Fine.  I’ll write your little friend. But not with crayons. Give me a real pen or somesuch.”

“You will?” Link smiled.

“Yes.  Later. If I survive.  I’m exhausted, and your horrible master will probably kill me for my insolence,” Ghirahim promised.

“He won’t.  He’s not horrible.” Link shook his head, “You probably will get punished, though.  How did your master punish you, before?”

“He didn’t have to,” Ghirahim shrugged, “I was never a bad bunny.  I can’t remember a time… he may have yelled at me when I was very young, I think?  But I was good at pleasing him.” After a pause that Ghirahim used to stare at Link’s chest he asked, “Do you think he’s dead?”

Link nodded, and for good measure added, “Yes.  I’m sorry.”

Silence filled the room again, but it was different, not calm and comfortable like before.  Something heavy sat around them, and it made Link’s stomach churn. He wanted to fill it with something, anything, but his nerves were acting up, and all he could think to say was going to be stupid.  But it was better than the oppressive, dangerous silence, so he tried anyway.

“Ravio was the first person to give me an erection,” Link said, “Is what I was going to say before.  I got scared and… freaked out on him.”

“He has no sense of personal space,” Ghirahim huffed, “I don’t know what it is about your social circle, but it isn’t supposed to feel like that.  You shouldn’t be afraid; you shouldn’t feel pressured.”

“What should you feel?” Link asked, genuinely curious. 

“Welcome.” Ghirahim shrugged, and Link, in his heart of hearts, felt like he knew that all along.

“I like it once it starts,” he said, because he felt like he needed to defend himself, and he didn’t know why.

“Do you want me to show you what it  _ should  _ be like?” Ghirahim asked, and Link looked into his eyes.

_ Sidon hurt him. _

_ No he didn’t, he would never hurt anyone. _

_ Sidon hurts me, sometimes. _

_ Sidon would never hurt you. _

_ Answer him. _

_ No?  Yes? _

“I don’t know.” Link said, and looked away.

“‘I don’t know’ means ‘no’.” Ghirahim said sternly, “I feel like no one has told you that and someone needed to.”

Link shook his head, “No, you’re wrong.  It doesn’t. I just… I want to but… I don’t know.”

“Alright.”

Link trembled, and reminded himself that he should not be doing this.  If Sidon woke up, he would be upset. Ghirahim should be in bondage. The phone should be charging.  Link should be sleeping in his arms. Everything was wrong. He was going to get in so much trouble.

“Then would you mind getting up so I can wash myself?” Ghirahim asked, “I may scrub my flesh off trying to remove the stench of your master.  He irks me so.”

Link cupped his face in both hands and kissed him.

Ghirahim held him gently, with one hand on the small of his back and the other at the base of his ears, and Link felt the lead in his stomach dissipate.  He should feel guilty. He had never done anything sexual without Sidon before, except for a few stray, friendly kisses with Ravio, and they had an underlying agreement that Ravio was ok.

This was different.  This was a ‘real’ kiss, a people kiss, with a bad bunny who had attacked people, who had brought out the bad side of Link; had him fighting again, had him hiding from Sidon and making terrible decisions.  He should be wracked with guilt, he should feel horrible, should be running to wake Sidon up and tell him that Ghirahim had stolen his phone and used it to call people.

Ghirahim felt him shaking and pulled away.  He wasn’t panting like Link, wasn’t terrified, and Link envied him.  Neither Ravio nor Ghirahim were as scared as he was. Maybe it wasn’t a bunny thing.  Maybe there was actually something wrong with him. 

“Something’s wrong with you,” Ghirahim said as if he had read his mind, but the inflection was all wrong; not anger nor disgust…  concern. “What is it?”

“We’re going to get in trouble.” Link told him.

“I’m going to get in trouble,” Ghirahim corrected.   “I know how his mind works. I can direct everything towards myself.  He already hates me.”

Link shook his head.  “He doesn’t hate you. He wants you to be good.”

“I want to show you what ‘good’ feels like.”  Ghirahim held Link by the back of the head and guided him to expose his throat, then licked a long stripe down it.  “Come on, little toy, I’ve done it before. You’ll love it.”

“Love what?” Link asked.

“I want you, Link.  I think we may have been destined to meet- you are the only reason I don’t kill your master where he sleeps, and the only reason I ever darkened your doorway at all.  I need a silver lining, and you need a sexual awakening. Let’s help each other.”

“I’m awake,” Link told him.

“I’ll be better than your master.  You won’t see that evil, that predator in my eyes.  We’ll just have fun,” Ghirahim promised.

“...you…  you know about that?” Link asked quietly, “That’s…  not real, Ghirahim. I thought I saw it too but it’s not real.”

“I’ve seen others like him,” Ghirahim explained.

“Sadists?” Link asked.

“Oh, so you do remember things.” Ghirahim smirked and gently stroked Link’s ears.

“Can I ask you-” Link began.

“Yes,” Ghirahim said before he could finish, kissing along his collarbone.

“What does ‘rape’ mean?” Link asked.

“Fucking someone who very clearly does not want you to,” Ghirahim answered quickly, “My master killed over it.  It’s… apparently not as big a deal in Hyrule. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Link nodded.  He realized that maybe Sidon sometimes thought exactly the same way he did.  Sometimes Sidon thought, “It might just be better if Link never knew about this.”  He thought that was strange, and didn’t know if it brought them closer together or further apart.

“What does ‘put down’ mean?” Link asked.

“You’re a downer, little toy.  Where is all this coming from?” Ghirahim laid back to look up at him.

Link shrugged.

“I need context.  That can mean several different things,” Ghirahim prodded.

“They threatened to put you down…” Link explained.

“Oh, that,” Ghirahim said dismissively, “They want to kill me.  With Master Ganondorf it’s an empty threat, and with Sidon… well, bigger and scarier things have tried,” he paused, and turned his head down, as if he would be able to see the scar on his chest, and his injured ear twitched.   “I think you’ve already seen which of us would have the advantage. If I wanted to kill him, little toy, he would be dead.”

Link stared at him in shock.  They were going to kill him!? They were going to kill him if he didn’t behave, and he STILL acted out?  He would be bad, even in the face of death?

“What is wrong with you?” Link asked, in shock.

“Really?” Ghirahim asked with a scowl, “You can’t figure that out on your own?”

Link’s face fell, and he reached out, tentatively, to run his fingertips over the diamond in Ghirahim’s chest.  It was pretty, he thought, like the rest of him, and it felt strange, a contrast to his smooth, pale skin. Ghirahim was still pretty, but he had been prettier once, and that was what he meant back in Link’s bedroom.  She had taken some of that from him, and with everything else she had taken it looked like more than it was, because it was a memory. 

“You can be happy again,” Link said quietly.  “He wouldn’t want you to hurt all the time. Not if he loved you.”

“Don’t act like you knew him!” Ghirahim snapped.

Link nodded.

Ghirahim played with the water, shoving one hand under and pulling it up.  Link saw his eyes and knew what he was thinking. He shook his head.

“We won’t let you,” he said.

“You couldn’t stop me,” Ghirahim said softly, “If I really wanted to.  They can’t make us do anything, Link, do you understand that? The worst they can do is kill us.  I would...” he stopped, as if deeply considering what he was about to say, “almost rather die on my feet than live on my knees.”

Link thought he understood, and thought that perhaps Ghirahim was the one who was stupid.

“If I let you fuck me, would it make you happy?” Link asked.

“No,” Ghirahim said, “It would make you happy.  That’s what I was trying to do.”

“I’ll…” Link took a deep breath, “I’ll do it.  If you want.”

“You most certainly will not,” Sidon said as he opened the door and stared down at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So last week I talked about posting the files I made of me reading my manuscript up on youtube, in the hopes of attracting beta readers. I did that.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p0Gfvv5RTo&feature=youtu.be
> 
> I was going to make them private, but private videos didn't have the ability for people to comment, and I really need people to be able to comment, so I set it to "unlisted" instead. I have no idea what the difference is. The first video is a poem that appears before the first chapter, but it's still something I wrote and need feedback on. If you're interested in doing that, you'd really be helping me out.
> 
> If you wanna beta, I think I managed to get all the information I'm looking for in the video description.
> 
> I'll add a link to each new chapter at the end of my fanfics, but I realize that I'll eventually need a better system for that. I've never really tried to do much with youtube. I don't want them to be public videos, because I obviously want it to be just for betaers... I'll have to figure something out.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this ends with a big reveal that I've been trying to foreshadow since chapter 1. I hope it pays off.
> 
> And those of you who have been following along at home are going to see something that might make your blood run cold: stage 5. We've had the denial- Demise is not dead, that's ridiculous, the guilt/anger- "he wouldn't want you to be sad" "DON'T ACT LIKE YOU KNEW HIM!"/anything he's ever said about Hylia, the bargaining- "Please take me home to Demise! I'll be good!", the depression-"I feel as if my life since that night has been a nightmare from which I am unable to awaken". But now? After that conversation with Ganondorf last chapter?
> 
> Welcome to acceptance, pretty bunny. You were drug here kicking and screaming, but you did get here.
> 
> Now move on to the unofficial 6th stage- Revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My electricity was out all night and only came back in a few minutes ago. So that sucks real bad. Wish that hadn't happened.
> 
> As always, I wanna thank MissGillette, who just started a new fic that looks super promising, is a really talented writer, and is letting me write in her AU. I've not talked to you in a while, MissG, but I still love you. I've just been inexcusably busy. Still reading all your Zelda fics, and I hope everyone else is too.
> 
> I've got a tip jar, if anyone thinks I deserve a couple bucks: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

“Good morning, Sidon,” Ghirahim said chipperly, and Link didn’t like the drastic change in his mood or the way his hands shot to hold him by the hips.

“Yes,” Sidon agreed sarcastically, “What a lovely five am.  We’re just in time for the sunrise. How did you get out? Link, did you let him out?”

“Do you honestly think I would need him to let me out?” Ghirahim smirked, “Sidon there is nowhere you can you put me, no way you can bind me, from which I cannot escape.  It cannot be done.”

“Get out,” Sidon demanded, “Both of you.”

“Stop demanding things of me,” Ghirahim held Link by the hips when he tried to stand.  “I am positively sick of your attitude. However, I have decided to… perhaps accept your help.”

“You don’t get to decide-” Sidon began, but Ghirahim pulled Link flush to his chest, and slid a hand up to cup the back of his neck.  Link felt his pulse in Ghirahim’s grip.

“Do you want me to squeeze?  Do you know how many throats I have ripped open in my life?  Can you move faster than me, human? Then be quiet and listen.” Ghirahim narrowed his eyes and held Link as he trembled, “You will stop this ridiculous attempt to lord power over me.  We both know that you don’t have it. There is nothing you possess that I cannot take away. Including your life. I could have killed you on the carpet of Link’s room.”

They stared at each other as the silence dragged on, and Ghirahim apparently decided it was safe to continue speaking.

“Stop trying to control me, and I will stop hurting you and breaking your things.  I propose a temporary truce.”

“I don’t trust you,” Sidon said without looking away.

“I don’t trust you either, so we are on common ground,” Ghirahim shrugged.  “However, your only other options are to tell Master Ganondorf that you refuse to train me- which I suspect, given the conversation I recently had with him, he would not like at all- or to continue to push me until I murder you in your sleep.”

“You didn’t talk to Ganondorf,” Sidon said as if the idea was ridiculous.  A bunny stealing and unlocking his phone, figuring out which app to use, inputting a phone number?  That was ridiculous. They didn’t have the intelligence.

“Check the call log.  And your browser history.  There are things in there that it would behoove you to learn.” Ghirahim nodded at the phone on the counter, and Sidon scowled as he picked it up.  Then his eyes widened.

“What did you say to him?” Sidon asked.

“Nothing that wasn’t true,” Ghirahim answered quickly, “and he was not happy with what he heard, was he Link?”

Link shook his head.  He had a lot of adjectives he would use for Mr Dragmire, but ‘happy’ was certainly not one of them.

“You can’t keep doing this,” Sidon turned the phone off and set it back on the counter.

“I can do anything I like, human,” Ghirahim glanced at Link, then back to Sidon, “I know that you aren’t used to this, not from a bunny.  But the truth of the matter is simply that I am not afraid of you. I can defeat you in a physical fight, I hold more social power, and it seems that I am more intelligent.  Which is… curious.”

“You’re not more intelligent.  Let him up.”

“Consider my proposal,” Ghirahim answered.

“Not with a hostage,” Sidon shook his head.

“I see, so you’ve agreed to the deal, and now we are negotiating the particulars.  If I give you your toy, what will you give me?”

“I won’t drown you.” Sidon snarled.

“I would love to see you try,” Ghirahim smiled, and Link froze in his arms.

“Sidon,” Link said quietly, and Sidon misinterpreted his concern for fear.

“It’s alright darling,” Sidon shushed him, “He won’t hurt you.  He isn’t that stupid.”

“Sidon,” Ghirahim asked casually, “what do you think Master Ganondorf will do when you fail him?”

“What do you want, Ghirahim?” Sidon asked, “Realistically, what do you want?”

“I want to be treated like a pet, not a burden or a servant!  I am not a possession! I am a sentient, sapient creature, and I tire of your endless parade of bullshit!  You are not my master, and I am not some  _ thing  _ for you to use however you wish and discard!  You are our human! You have a duty to care for us- oh, Link I’m actually unsure if you know that.  He has a legal duty to care for you.”

Link didn’t know that, and the statement made no sense to him.  Zelda’s parents hadn’t cared for him. They had abandoned him. Was that illegal?

“No more cruel punishments, and no more neglect,” Ghirahim demanded, “I feel as if I shouldn’t have to say that!”

“I assume you’re talking about the collar?” Sidon asked, crossing his arms.

“And locking me away with no food, water, or medication, along with leaving me bound for hours, alone.  That alone would have the YSPCA on your ass faster than you can say, ‘cruelty charge’. Nothing  _ stupid _ .”

“What’s the YSPCA?” Link asked quietly, but no one answered him.

“And you’ll behave?” Sidon asked.

“Yes.”

“If you mess up-” Sidon began, but Ghirahim cut him off.

“If I misbehave you may…  Link how does he punish you?” Ghirahim asked, and Link felt his face heating up.  He had to crawl up and whisper to Ghirahim in order to get the words to leave his mouth.

“He…  spanks me.”

Ghirahim blinked a few times, processing the information slowly.

“You may give me the same punishments you give your own bunny,” Ghirahim said.

“Let him go,” Sidon demanded.

“He’s free to go,” Ghirahim had released his grip some time ago, Link just hadn’t thought to flee.  He had been fairly comfortable where he was. He realized his mistake as Ghirahim spoke, and scrambled over the side of the tub.

“Ghirahim, take a shower,” Sidon said with authority in his voice as he picked up Ghirahim’s suitcase, “Link, you are no longer allowed in a bathtub without me.”

Link nodded, and followed him into the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

Link sat on the bed watching Sidon dig around in the trunk.  Link didn’t like that trunk, but this wasn’t for him. Link didn’t think Ghirahim would keep his promise to try to be good, but he really wanted him to.  He wanted to believe him, and he had seen him break down after he spoke to Mr Ganondorf, but he was so weird and completely unpredictable, that he just couldn’t make himself believe in him like he wanted to.

“Where do you buy your conditioner?” Ghirahim asked as he stepped into the room drying his hair, “This is  _ angora _ .  And I feel that a month of trying to bathe here may destroy me.”

Sidon stood slowly with his hands behind his back and went to sit in his chair by the fireplace.  When Ghirahim went to unzip his suitcase, Sidon spoke.

“Don’t get dressed.  Come here.”

Ghirahim shuddered, but to Link’s amazement, he obeyed.

The conversation with Mr Ganondorf may have broken him.

“Get down on all fours, little cuddlebunny,” Sidon spoke quietly, gently, as if the anger and tension had drained out of him, and Ghirahim looked resigned when he slowly knelt.

“Doggie style?” He asked.

“Lower,” Sidon pushed gently between his shoulder blades, “You may want to hold onto something, the legs of the chair perhaps.  Don’t rip up my carpet.”

Ghirahim turned his head to see Sidon pull out the leather strap.  He only had enough time to form the thought,  _ he’s going to hit me with that _ before it happened.  The sound was significantly worse than the pain, and it confused him.  It didn’t really hurt that much. He had expected much more. Even as Sidon kept moving, covered his ass, then his thighs, the pain didn’t really register.

“Now,” Sidon stepped into his line of sight and took a knee, then reached down to cradle his face in a way that made his stomach churn- don’t do that, don’t touch him like Demise.  “Why do I have to punish you?”

“What?” Ghirahim asked.

“Why are you being punished?” Sidon asked, and Ghirahim hated the tone he used- almost paternal, patronizing.

“If I had to guess,” Ghirahim thought aloud, “I would say that it was because I tried to seduce your bunny more than anything else.  Though based on what I know about you, you’re also probably angry about a number of other things- the fact that you cannot control me using operant conditioning, or that I turned your own weapons against you.”

“What else?” Sidon asked.

“I’m unsure,” Ghirahim pushed himself up onto his arms, “I think you may have a deep seated resentment about the fact that I don’t respect you, because for some reason the respect of a bunny means a great deal to you.”

“Keep going,” Sidon told him as he let his hand slide up into Ghirahim’s wet hair.

“The things I broke, I suspect?” Ghirahim questioned.

“That’s a good beginning,” Sidon kissed him on the forehead.  “Do you feel any kind of sorrow about the things you’ve done?”

“No.” Ghirahim didn’t say it defiantly, and shrugged a little as he spoke.

“That’s alright,” Sidon played with his collar, “You will.  And you can still make it up to me.”

He tugged the collar as he stood, and Ghirahim went to stand with him, but Sidon tutted at him.

“Crawl,” he instructed, and Ghirahim’s eyes narrowed.  He looked to Link, and Link nodded at him, so he shrugged, and let Sidon tug him by the collar, stayed on his hands and knees while Sidon sat in his plush chair and smiled at him.

“Pretend you want to make up for your transgressions,” Sidon instructed, and Ghirahim rolled his eyes.

“So what do you like?” He asked as he lazily fondled Sidon through his pants, “you strike me as the kind of guy who likes to hold someone down and face fuck them.  And poor little Link doesn’t seem like he knows how to deepthroat… I bet he keeps a bruise on the back of his throat.”

“Less noise from you would be delightful, you brat,” Sidon said as he pet Ghirahim, scratching gently at the base of his left ear, and Link was proud of Sidon for his patience and control.

“Link,” Ghirahim locked eyes with him and smiled, “Watch this.”

Sidon’s pajamas were held up with a string, and Ghirahim took one end in his teeth and pulled.  When they were loose enough, he tugged them down just enough to free Sidon’s cock before a quick tug to the hair stopped him, and he glanced over to make sure Link was still watching as he wrapped his lips around the head.

He knew what this was- a test.  He could chew through wood, bite through plastic.  Human flesh would be nothing to him. All he had to do was close his mouth.  He felt the vein, full of life giving blood, pulsing under his tongue, and the temptation washed over him.

But there was nowhere to go.  No home to return to.

Demise was dead.

Demise was dead and gone and never coming back.

He was supposed to love him forever.

Don’t bite.

Don’t cry.

You know how to do this, you’ve done it a thousand times.

So he leaned forward and swallowed, braced himself on Sidon’s thighs, and pulled back as if he was doing a pushup.  He rocked with his entire body, swirled his tongue in exactly the right places, and kept glancing at Link. Sidon, he was fairly sure, hated how good this felt, hated that he had this kind of control over him.  His hands had fallen from his face, stopped petting him, and were digging into the chair so deeply he might rip the leather.

Ghirahim hummed to intonation of:  _ Do you like this you monster?  Or do you hate it? Do you hate how easily I tear you apart?  How bad you are at this? Will you miss me when I’m gone? I think you will.  But in a month I will never have to look at you again, but you will think about me forever. _

He felt Sidon tense, and swallowed.  He would be goddamned if he would taste it.  Shoot it down his throat. Sidon’s hands were in his hair, holding him where he had positioned himself anyway, and Ghirahim rolled his eyes again.

Sidon may actually think he was in control.  Did he forget, so quickly, that all Ghirahim had to do was bite?

Sidon was pretending not to pant above him when he sat up and swallowed the saliva that had gathered in his mouth.

“Are we done here?” He asked.

“For now,” Sidon reached to pet him between the ears, “I’m proud of you, Ghirahim.  I didn’t think you could be a good bunny.”

“Well,” Ghirahim shrugged, “Perhaps one day your pride will mean something to me.  Do you have a toothbrush I can use?”

“I’ll help you,” Link offered, and Ghirahim stood to follow him to the bathroom, while Sidon wondered how long it would take to have Ghirahim teach Link to do that.

 

* * *

 

He discovered what the strap had done when he tried to get dressed.

“Motherfuck!” he snapped.

“Your pants are too tight,” Link explained, “You have to wear big flowy things for a couple of days.”

“Well seeing as how I don’t hate myself,” Ghirahim snarled, “I have no atrocious clothing!  Everything is perfectly tailored.”

“You’re gonna be sore,” Link shrugged.

“Get dressed,” Sidon called from inside his closet.

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Ghirahim told Link, “I am going to paint these walls with his blood.  The deep maroon will be a vast improvement. A splash of color couldn’t hurt anything.”

“You promised you wouldn’t,” Link reminded him.

Ghirahim hissed in pain as he jumped to wriggle the fabric further up his body.  Link didn’t understand why all his clothes were so tight. Yeah, they looked good, but it had to be impractical to move in.

“Do you have any…  sitting around clothes?” Link asked, going through the suitcase.  He absolutely didn’t. Everything he owned was fancy.

“We don’t really do loungewear in Lorule,” Ghirahim explained, “this is the stretchiest thing I’ve got.”

“Just try not to sit anywhere,” Link told him, “lie on your belly, if you can.”

“Do I have a belly?” Ghirahim asked as if the concept insulted him, “Sidon!”

“Hm?” Sidon hummed.

“Do you have a gym?” Ghirahim asked.

“Oh.  Yes. Is that something you’re interested in?  Do you have interests apart from violence?” Sidon asked with mild amusement that grated on Ghirahim’s nerves.  “Perhaps we’ll go after breakfast. But your scar tissue is fresh. You can’t do anything that would cause injury.”

* * *

 

Ghirahim tried to ignore the pain in his backside as he watched Sidon pour their tea with interest.  The interest stemmed from the fact that he poured it himself, rather than having a servant do it, and from the little vile Sidon opened, the white powder he tapped from it into Link’s cup before he added the honey and milk and stirred.

“How do you take your tea?” He asked Ghirahim, and Ghirahim didn’t like his chipper attitude.

“With lots and lots of sugar,” Ghirahim smiled sweetly.  Then he asked, “Do you like your tea, Link?”

“I only like it when Sidon makes it,” Link hummed happily as he sipped, and Ghirahim smiled at his innocence.

Sidon had tossed a sugar cube into his tea, and Ghirahim arched an eyebrow.

“No, Sidon,” he said, “Sugar.”

“How much do you want?” Sidon asked cheerfully, and opened the sugar bowl again.

“Real sugar,” Ghirahim leaned forward on one hand, “Or I tell Link what it is.”

“I know what sugar is,” Link protested.

“No, little toy,” Ghirahim smiled at Sidon, “You don’t.”

“Ghirahim,” Sidon said dangerously.

“Hey Link,” Ghirahim said, “Did you know that there are some drugs that can inhibit the body’s production of testosterone?  And that some people give it to their pets because it keeps them looking young and cute longer, gives them tons of energy to burn off, and gets them addicted so that even if they could leave they would- oh, Sidon, thank you.”

He smiled; Sidon poured from the vile into his cup and connected some dots.  The pet of a drug lord, the mood swings, the behavioral outbursts- Ganondorf should have told him about the DTs.

“Sugar does all that?” Link asked skeptically.

“No,” Ghirahim said sadly as he sipped from his cup, “something else.  Something my master used to sell. I just… I’m making conversation. I miss him.”

“I’m sorry,” Link said quietly.

“It’s…” Ghirahim sighed and tore off a tiny piece of his muffin.  He had to be starving. He hadn’t eaten anything but a single piece of cake yesterday, as far as Link knew.  But he also knew what it could be like to be hurting, and he hadn’t been hurt as deeply as Ghirahim. He knew what it was like to have random memories of fun times, times that you would never have again.  He hadn’t understood most of what Ghirahim had said but he thought it was sweet that his master would give him something to make him young and cute, given how much his appearance meant to him.

Link took his hand and squeezed.  Ghirahim squeezed back and smiled.

“You have to eat,” Link said, “Even if it’s just a little bit.”  He smiled and went on, “You’re being so good.”

Sidon rolled his eyes and turned the vile upside down over his own cup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I actually have a lot I wanna say here and I'm gonna try to power through it because idk how much time I'll have.
> 
> 1: Did you see it coming? Link only likes his tea when Sidon makes it. Ravio gets more hyper when he stays with Sidon. Sidon is always so energetic and chipper all the goddamn time, but crashes so hard that Ghirahim can steal his phone or Link can crawl over top of him without him waking up. This was the first thing I thought in-game too, btw. I know a lot of people with this particular substance abuse problem and I took one look at Sidon the hyper, optimistic, stalkery person who hyperfocuses on and watches one guy his sister used to date a goddamn century ago, and I thought, "I wonder how he does all that coke without a nose. He must rub it on his gums." Like literally my first thought. "YOU CAN DO IT! I BELIEVE IN YOU! LET ME SWIM ACROSS THE COUNTRY- TIME ME! OH MY GOD YOU GUYS I HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY THERE IS NO DOWNSIDE TO THIS DRUG!" Calm the fuck down.
> 
> To be fair though, I've not played BOTW, so that impression might be faulty. I wish to god I had BOTW money- I could write much better fanfics if I knew what I was talking about.
> 
> 2: I've got my Hyrule Warriors fic up to reread it so I can start writing there again. That means that I might do a major timeskip in this one instead of a proper ending. And I'm sorry. But it's 22 fucking chapters long. Do you guys really want that? There's no reason for that. I have more shit I want to do but there's a limit to what I can expect people to sit through. I am genuinely asking. Should I keep going with long-winded bullshit until I'm out of ideas or should I cut it short and timeskip to the trial (and then work on my ever-continuing story the Hyrule Warriors AU, which I will write until I die. It's my vent-fic.)? I'll do whatever you guys want.
> 
> 3: No one actually listened to my poem, so that was disappointing. I mean I get it because I am asking a lot but that kinda hurt. I had hoped that I could find some betaers through here because I just don't know where to find them. I did post chapter 1 of "the book" on the unlisted youtube playlist, and I do have like 30 chapters read, out loud, with my voice. I don't want to beg people to help me, but if yhall know where a person can find beta readers, please let me know. I had like 1 person actually get back to me (thanks Saint!). So if you are interested in that, here's the link to me reading it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxLHWJQlxFw&feature=youtu.be 
> 
> I've got beta reader questions I stole off the internets to get you started! And if you're not interested in doing it, if you could point me in the direction of someone who might be interested, that would help me a lot too. Yhall are Zelda fans so I know you like fantasy and have good taste. Your feedback would be super helpful.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link learns that he might be good at things outside the bedroom, Ghirahim learns that sometimes you have to apologize, and Sidon learns... idk, something probably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I know this is late and I'm sorry. It was really hectic yesterday AND the charger for my laptop gave out on me.
> 
> As always, I want to thank MissG, and suggest that everyone go read her work! I just finished reading Chapter 3 of her latest fic about the Spirit of Spring, and it's given me like a Sims moodlet, but instead of any of the emotions they feel, it's like... idk, like a rose-tinted nostalgia for a place I've never been. Miss GIllette is amazing, is my point.
> 
> I've not been able to write much lately, so I've still got 22 chapters of this written and I'm realizing that we're narrowing in on that and I need to give it a real ending. I can't just leave it hanging in the middle of the story. I'll make sure to do something about that.
> 
> I've got a Ko-Fi if anyone wants to leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Link never did the exercises Sidon did alongside him; he always sat on the sidelines and watched.  He didn’t think it was something bunnies did; all the equipment was sized for humans, after all, so it struck him as strange when Ghirahim walked into the gym and immediately began to criticize it.

He stretched with his arms over his head, and Link watched with amazement at the way his body moved.  He hummed as he worked, lowered himself to the floor and spread his legs, then bent at the waist until his forehead touched the floor.  Link didn’t really know what dance, as a competitive sport was, and didn’t have any kind of concept for the warm up stretches of dancers.  Ghirahim leaned on his side until he could touch the floor that way too, then the other side, then back. Watching his body move was amazing.

Sidon wondered how long it would take to have him teach Link that kind of flexibility.

But Ghirahim was apparently content with the idea that all his muscles still worked, and that he wasn’t going to tear any of his scar tissue back open, so he hopped to his feet and snarled.

“When was the last time you upgraded your equipment?” He asked.

“They say that a true artist can work with any tools,” Sidon said as he pulled his hands through the special gloves he kept specifically for exercise and wiggled his fingers.

“It’s my fault for expecting anything,” Ghirahim huffed.  He walked around the open area, hopping a little on the foam pads, examining everything as if none of it lived up to his standards.  Sidon watched him in his peripheral, but tried to make it seem as if his full attention was on the punching bag in front of him.

“Oh, look at that,” Ghirahim said, “fencing equipment.  Link, come spar with me.”

“You’re out of your mind if you think you have sword privileges,” Sidon said, but Ghirahim was already in the small room where he stored his equipment, and he walked back out carrying two practice rapiers.  The safety tips were in place, but the idea still made Sidon uneasy. There was no way in hell he was letting him near Link with those things. “Put that back.”

“I suppose you believe you can make me?” Ghirahim smirked and arched an eyebrow.

“If I ever had a passing thought, some rash of madness, that would make me think it was acceptable to give a bunny a sword, I would have to find somewhere that sold safety equipment in your size.  It’s impractical. Do something else.” Sidon steadied the bag and imagined Ghirahim’s face in the fabric.

“I don’t need it,” Ghirahim said, “I will never allow a blade to catch me off guard again.  For reasons that I should not have to explain to you.”

“Will you stop complaining if I go one round with you?” Sidon asked as he stepped back.

“What did I say that you could possibly interpret as ‘complaining’?  Honestly Sidon, do you realize that it is possible to have a neutral opinion of something?  There is a difference between ‘not singing the praises of a thing’ and a complaint.” Ghirahim tutted, “But I fear that there would be no point in trying to match skills with an untrained human.  You people are already so slow and stiff.”

Sidon tossed his gloves to the side, marched up to Ghirahim, and jerked one of the rapiers out of his hand.

“Go to your mark,” he said coldly.

“What happened to Mr Safety-first?” Ghirahim asked as he backed into position.  He held his stance and raised his sword in a salute, “Epee, I presume? Is Link judging?”

“Link doesn’t understand the sentence you just said,” Sidon sighed, “I’ve never taught him.  Besides, I don’t think bunnies would be very good at all the complex decisions a judge would have to make, keeping score, the complex spatial reasoning involved in determining what is and is not a hit, the-”

“Link!” Ghirahim called, “watch us closely.  If one of us gets a valid hit on the other, it will be with the tip of the sword, and we will stop moving.  Count who lands the most of those. I’ll call out to you to help.”

Link nodded, and Sidon rolled his eyes.  Could bunnies count? Was that something they did?

“You didn’t salute me,” Ghirahim said, and Sidon giggled.  His movements were fluid when he went through them, but Ghirahim didn’t like the patronizing edge he felt.  

This was going to be fun.

“En guard,” Ghirahim smiled and readied his stance, “ Prêts?”

Sidon took nearly the same stance, and held the same underserved air of confidence.  Link had never actually seen him use this equipment before, and he was eager to see what would happen.

“Prêts?” Ghiraihm asked again, and with annoyance demanded, “Answer me!”

“Yes, yes, I’m ready,” Sidon chuckled.

“Allez!” Ghirahim shouted, and he moved faster than even Link could track, so Sidon had no hope.  Ghirahim swooped under him, came up, and held the tip of the sword to his throat.

“Point.” he said coldly.  “Best of five?”

Sidon stared down at him, and Link saw the thing within him clawing to the surface behind his eyes.

“Ghirahim, maybe that’s enough,” Link warned.

“Nonsense,” Ghirahim smirked, “You can play the winner, little toy.  Returning to my mark.”

Ghirahim walked more slowly to the en guard line, turned and readied his stance before he spoke, “En guard.  Prêts?”

“Yes.”

“Allez!” Ghirahim moved like a lightning bolt, but Sidon was expecting him this time, and stepped back to avoid him.  The look in his eyes, Link realized, was not what he had at first thought. It wasn’t the monster that lurked within him, not the bad part of him that Link had felt the night before when he bit Ghirahim.  No, this was something different. Sidon looked… like a bunny. Like a creature that knew, instinctively, that the world was a dangerous place. Link had always channeled that knowledge, that fear, into escape, into hiding- live to fight another day.  For Ghirahim, he realized, it was not “flight”, but “fight”. Kill or be killed. He wondered what it would be for Sidon.

Link found that he liked the sound of metal on metal as Ghirahim advanced and Sidon was forced to step backwards to avoid him.  Sidon’s eyes could barely track the movement, and he had to focus all his attention on defense. The damned bunny just moved so fast!  How did Hylia ever manage to catch him off guard?

“Look, Sidon,” Ghirahim smirked, “I’ve got one hand behind my back.  You humans are so slow. You can’t keep up with us when we’re  _ not even trying _ .  The look in your eyes tells me that you didn’t know that.  You’ve never been  _ prey _ .  You’re a  _ predator _ who doesn’t understand the natural order.  You need us a hell of a lot more than we need you.”

_ Find a weakness _ , Sidon thought,  _ push him back _ .

Ghirahim hopped back and smiled.

“Come on, little human.  I’ll let you come at me. You do understand, don’t you, that I’m going easy on you?”  he did an elaborate, theatrical salute where he spun his sword from the ground to above his head, and Sidon took the time to lunge.

And still Ghirahim parried his thrust and stuck the tip of his sword to his chest.

This was  _ impossible _ .  The sheer speed was impossible!  The form, the movements, the multiple languages- what was this thing?  Was he really a bunny?

“Another point for me, Link,” Ghirahim said, and turned to walk back to his en guard line, “Just give me another minute and I’ll be ready to play with you.  After the next point I win. It’s called the ‘slaughter rule’. If I already have three points he cannot conceivably win, so letting him go two more rounds of failure is considered an embarrassment, and in poor taste.”  He turned to Sidon and smiled, “And I would hate to embarass you in front of your little toy. I am, after all, a gentleman.”

“Come at me!” Sidon said, coldly.

“En guard.  Prêts?” Ghirahim’s voice was mocking.

“Come at me!”

Ghirahim shrugged.  “Allez.”

But he didn’t move.  Silence filled the room- there wasn’t even the rustle of clothing to break it, and Link felt the tension settle; he didn’t like it.  Something had changed. Something was wrong.

“Come at me!” Sidon demanded.

“No, human, I think I’ll let you advance this time,” Ghirahim said as if it was a courtesy, “I’ll give you a fighting chance.”

Sidon growled as he darted forward, and Ghirahim winked at Link.  He didn’t change his position as Sidon thrust, aside from the hand holding the sword.  He batted away his attack, keeping his feet firmly planted. Sidon tried again, and again Ghirahim batted him away.  He folded one arm in the small of his back and parried away the next, and the next. Ghirahim’s eyes focused in on Sidon’s hand, holding the sword behind the guard.  On the next stroke Sidon made, Ghirahim moved quickly, slid his blade between Sidon’s hand and the hilt he was holding, and pulled up in one smooth motion. The flexible blade moved as if it may snap, and Sidon, in his shock, released his grip.  It flew into the air with the motion of Ghirahim’s blade.

Ghirahim grabbed the sword before it hit the ground and held the tip to Sidon’s heart.

“Disarmament.  Point. Match.” Ghirahim said.  “I win, human. What a shock.”

Sidon tried to control his breathing, but Ghrahim hadn’t broken a sweat, wasn’t breathing heavy at all.  It seemed as if he had exerted no effort.

“Link,” Ghirahim called, and tossed him the sword.

Link, to his absolute amazement, caught it in mid-air without trying.  It felt right in his hand, almost instinctual.

“Come here,” Ghirahim bowed to him, “and I’ll teach you how to play.”

Sidon glared at him, but he stepped aside to allow Link to step onto the mat.

  


* * *

  


Link liked swords.

The thought would have never occurred to him.  They were weapons, violent, not in his nature, but he was fast, and he could see things that, apparently, Sidon could not.

Ghirahim had spent only a few minutes, a quarter of an hour at most, explaining the rules to him.  When Sidon had asked him where he had learned the language, Ghirahim had explained it to him, at length, in demonic, the language of Lorulians, then again in Gerudo.  Link hadn’t understood a word he had said, but Sidon apparently had, and each syllable made his stance more and more tense.

Sidon, Link was realizing, didn’t even like Ghirahim when he was being good.

But Link did.

Link liked this game, these actions that were so much like playing with a human child, the toy swords that could so easily translates to princess, to knights and dragons.  He parried Ghirahim’s attack and hopped backwards to put some distance between them.

“Perfect, Link!” Sidon praised from the sidelines, “You’re wonderful!”

“No you’re not,” Ghirhaim corrected, “You’ve left your right side open, I could exploit it; turn into that.  Keep your guard up.”

Link changed his stance to obey him, and Sidon scowled at Ghirahim.

“You’re smaller than me,” Ghirahim prompted, “I’m a bigger target.  What do you do with that? How do you exploit it?”

Link thought about those questions.  He had, often, assumed that in a fight, being bigger was better for the outcome.  But Ghirahim was right. Larger bodies meant larger targets. Ghirahim stood with his sword posed for defense, but he was too big to cover all of himself, he had to move, had to predict what Link was going to do.

_ Little bunny Foo Foo _

Link lunged.

_ Hopping through the forest. _

He went to swing low, to come in fast and hit Ghirahim in the legs to score a point.

_ Scooping up the field mice _

Ghirahim bent to block him, and Link changed direction mid swing, pulled back and thrust-

_ And bopping them on the head. _

He caught Ghirahim mid crouch, and the tip of his blade landed right between the eyes.

“That’ll only work once, little toy,” Ghirahim smiled, and it sounded like praise, “But in a real fight, a head wound only needs to work once, if you do it right.  Good job. Point Link. Back to your line.”

Sidon was amazed at Link’s speed.  He was used to a certain kind of creature, the scared little bunny who guarded his movements carefully, who didn’t have the confidence to move with the speed and accuracy that was apparently innate within him.

“My mistake,” Ghirahim explained to Link, “is a common one that you can likely exploit in any opponent.  I underestimate you. I mistake meekness for weakness. I was going easy on you. And, as I said, that will only work once.  But once should be all you need. Now, On guard. Ready?”

Link nodded.

“Fence,” Ghirahim said, and Link readied himself for the onslaught he knew was coming.  Ghirahim moved faster now, as fast as he had with Sidon, and Link could barely keep up with him.  He took a step back, trying to keep space between them.

“Don’t let him wear you down, darling,” Sidon advised, “You’re doing so well!”

“Don’t back away,” Ghirahim said, though he hadn’t stopped his onslaught, “My reach is longer than yours.  Space gives me an advantage. I know that your instinct, little toy, is to run from me. You fear me. But fight it.  Channel that energy. It exists for a reason. It makes you more alert, more aware. You are a bunny. It is nearly impossible for you to lose a fight, do you understand that?”

Link shook his head and concentrated on blocking, but he stopped moving backwards.  He planted his feet firmly and watched Ghirahim’s movements.

“You have to want it more than I do, this victory,” Ghirahim explained, “We are prey animals, little toy, the strong foundation upon which the predators build their wealth.  Without us, they are nothing. We must be stronger than them, because they stand on us. Strength rolls downhill, responsibility rolls up, do you understand?”

Link shook his head.  Ghirahim liked the sound of his own voice, and Link wondered if it distracted him from his bladework.

“If a fox chases a rabbit, little bunny,” Ghirahim explained, “9 times out of 10, the rabbit wins.  The predator won’t even go after prey that isn’t sickly or old. Because the fox is fighting for his lunch.  But the rabbit is fighting for his life.”

Link nodded.  He understood that.  He had devalued his life, once, in the shelter, when it didn’t seem like it was worth fighting for.  He had been that low once. And he was  _ never _ going back.  So on Ghirahim’s next thrust, he hit as hard as he could, and knocked him off balance.  Then he put the tip of his sword right in the middle of the diamond scar on his chest.

Ghirahim smiled down at him.

“Look at your eyes, little toy,” He said, “You  _ finally  _ look like a cuddlebunny.”

Link nodded.  He didn’t know what he meant by that, but he let Ghirahim cup his face, let him press their lips together, and hummed in amazement at the things he could do with his tongue.  Ghirahim was better at people-kissing than Ravio or Sidon, and he pushed him away before his body made  _ that _ the most important thing to attend to.

“Ghirahim,” Sidon warned.

“Hm?” Ghirahim hummed, looking into Link’s eyes and playing with his hair.

“That’s enough fencing.  Link looks worn out.” Sidon came up behind them to pry Link away.

  


* * *

  


“I question your taste level,” Ghirahim said to Link as he watched him blow glitter off the card he had made for Ravio.  Link shrugged, and Ghirahim made a face.

“Why the hell did you do that?” He asked in annoyance, and sat up shaking his paper.  He motioned to all of Link’s room, “Glitter is the herpes of craft supplies! Now we’ll be finding it strange places for the rest of our lives!  Ugh. It’s in my hair.”

“You look like a fairy prince,” Link said as he admired the ‘Get Well Soon’ he had written in glue and covered in glitter.

“Oh fuck you,” Ghirahim snarled.  He was in a particularly bad mood because when they had lain in Link’s floor after another round of showers to make the cards that Link insisted he had promised to make- though he did not at all remember that- he found that his chest hurt when he lay on his stomach, and his backside still stung terribly if he tried to sit down, so there was no position where he could find comfort.  Link, in his desire to help, had brought his beanbag chair for Ghirahim to lie on, and it was more bearable than the floor, but still the pain teetered on the edges of his mind.

He was more or less healed now, though.  The potions from the vet had run dry, and the pain he had now was probably something he would always have, something he would get used to, learn to live with.  That is, after all, how life worked.

“Ghirahim,” Link asked.

“What?” Ghirahim shook the letter he was writing again, trying to get the glitter off of it.

“What’s herpes?” 

“You grate on my nerves.” Ghirahim sighed, “Be quiet.  I’m trying to listen to your master.”

“You’re not supposed to evesdrop on phone calls,” Link told him with narrowed eyes.

“Whoever told you that lied to you,” Ghirahim shushed him again.

“Sidon told-” Link began but Ghirahim cut him off.

“I’m not surprised.” He said and Link huffed, and snatched his paper away to read it.

_ Dearest Ravio, _

_ It has come to my attention that you sustained certain injuries at my hand.  I have been told that I may have acted in haste, and given both an incomplete and inaccurate representation of my character.  I am not, I assure you, normally so quick to jump to conclusions, nor am I often a poor judge of character. I was under a great amount of stress due to the recent departure of my master, and did not have the mental facilities to tolerate nonsense.  Therefore, I hope you can understand that unwanted attention, especially unwanted physical attention, added to my stress in a way that I was not equipped to process. Link tells me that you are one of his dearest friends, and that the way you behaved the day we met was not out of malice, rather, that you were attempting to offer me your friendship. _

_ Though, he does tell me that you got rather physical with him very quickly as well, which makes it impossible for me to completely regret my actions, because I do think it would behoove you to learn that you cannot force your company onto others and expect instant reciprocation.  Therefore, I believe that we are both at fault for this misunderstanding.  _

_ However, I do wish you a speedy recovery, and I would, at some time, like to make your aquantanship.  I believe that we can both behave amicably now that we understand each other. Link has told me a great deal about you, and he cares for you intensely. _

_ I would also appreciate it if you tell your master, Ms Hilda, that I do regret my actions regarding the way I treated her during her stay at my master’s estate.  I was under the mistaken impression that Master Demise would be returning, and therefore did not want to leave the grounds. I understand now that this was not the case, and that she was sincerely trying to help me.  I acted in a most ungentlemanly fashion and would like to make amends- _

The letter ended abruptly, likely because Link had snatched it and Ghirahim wasn’t finished writing it, but Ghirahim didn’t seem interested in taking it back when Link offered.  He was facing the door with both ears at attention, trying to hear the conversation Sidon was having across the hall.

“He’s become much more comfortable already,” Sidon was saying, “I’m watching them over the security feed and he’s interacting well with Link.”

There was a pause and he clarified, “My bunny.”  Another pause and, “No, they’re coloring. They do other things.  Yes, Mr Dragmire, they are capable of artistic expression. I’m not sure, I don’t know how to measure that; it’s subjective.”

After a long pause he continued, “I think a lot of it will just be redirection.  He needs somewhere to put all the energy from that anger.” Pause. “I know, I saw the call log.  I still don’t know how he got out, I had him secured.” Pause. “Yes, very well.” 

The silence from Sidon lasted so long that Link began to grow worried.  He opened his mouth and Ghirahim shussed him. When Sidon spoke again, he sounded cold and distant, as if whoever he was talking to had insulted him.

“Well, that is what they’re made for, so yes, I did.  Am I supposed to be ashamed of that?” There was another pause, and then Sidon’s final, single syllable response, pregnant with meaning, “No.”

Link didn’t think there was enough information there to piece together any kind of context, but apparently Ghirahim did, because he growled, “Yes he absolutely did!”

“Of course,” Sidon said, “If you like.”

The door to his room opened and Sidon stepped out, and held the phone outstretched in his hand.

“Ghirahim, your master wants to speak to you.” 

“Do you have the spatial reasoning capabilities to toss it to me?” Ghirahim asked, and Sidon rolled his eyes, stepped over to him, and handed him the phone.

He scratched between his ears and asked, “Still sore, are we?”

Ghirahim glared at him, but Link had gone back to working on the picture of Ravio and Ghirahim he was drawing on the inside of his card.  He had left the letter sitting to the side, and only looked up when Sidon sat on the floor next to him to read it. Sidon absentmindedly scratched between his ears, and Link leaned into the friendly touch.  He loved the casual, loving caresses, the closeness that came from those small moments.

“Four o’clock in the morning,” Ganondorf said.

“I know master,” Ghirahim pouted.

“Don’t put it on speakerphone,” Sidon sighed.

“I can’t hear it the other way,” Ghirahim explained.

“Ravio used the phone perfectly fine when he was here,” Sidon countered.

“I don’t know how,” Ghirahim huffed, “They aren’t designed for bunnies.”

“Everybody shut up,” Ganondorf demanded, and everyone did.  “If I’m on speakerphone, go somewhere. I want to speak to you privately.”

“Can Sidon just leave?” Ghirahim asked, “I’m sore.  Because he beat me. Not in any sort of competitive sense, not that he won any kind of contest; I mean he physically beat me, and I allowed him to, as a punishment.”

“Why?” Ganondorf asked, and some of the anger had faded from his voice.

“Why did I allow it?” Ghirahim asked.

“Yeah, you were a pain in my ass for like three days.  What changed?” Ganondorf asked, and his voice carried genuine curiosity.  The animosity was gone, and Link wondered if he didn’t like Ghirahim more than he let on.  It was possible that he could learn to love him, eventually, and Ghirahim could be happy again, with a new master.

“You told me to obey him,” Ghirahim said as if it was obvious, “I wanted to make you happy.”

“I see,” the man on the phone said with an emotion in his voice that Link didn’t understand.  After a beat he went on, “Well go somewhere private.”

Ghirahim hissed in pain as he stood, and walked down the hall to the bathroom.

“Ravio isn’t going to understand this letter,” Sidon said, “But I’ll still give it to him.  I suppose that it is the thought that counts.”

“Ghirahim talks a lot,” Link said as he signed the picture he had drawn.  “Is Ravio ok?”

“Oh yes, darling,” Sidon assured him, “He’ll have a scar, but Hillie says it looks ‘dashing’ and if he doesn’t like it she can get a wider collar or a scarf or something.”

“I like swords,” Link said as he took up another piece of the construction paper and began to draw.

“I’m still learning little things about you,” Sidon smiled down at him, “You can play with them all you like, but I need to get you some safety equipment.  You’re almost as good as a human, and I’m not just saying that. You have skill. You’re amazing, darling.”

“Really?” Link asked skeptically.  Sidon had never really commented on his skill outside the bedroom, and he very seriously doubted he was as good as Sidon said he was.  He thought that perhaps Sidon was just stroking his ego- he had called out encouraging things when he was playing swords with Ghirahim that Ghirahim came behind him and corrected.  He thought that Sidon sometimes thought he was better at things than he was, just because Sidon loved him so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is interested, I'm still looking for beta readers, and the first two chapters of my rough draft are uploaded to youtube. I've created a playlist for convenience.
> 
> My internet is really bad and I can't get youtube to load, but I think that this is the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq9RN0Mxi3F4S15hqabk0uLuV9CDbfTDG
> 
> I know this is chapter 2, regardless of whether or not the playlist works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRJ5oFGLzC8&feature=youtu.be


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sidon finally does what Ganondorf hired him to do, and tries to prepare Ghirahim to appear in court by forcing him to watch a news report about the murder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK so I did post this chapter before I went to bed just so it wouldn't be late, but I didn't reread it before I did, and I didn't write a proper summary or notes. I've returned to rectify that.
> 
> So here's a fun fact: Rabbits LOVE tobacco. They're a huge pest problem for the tobacco industry and will invade fields and take everything you've got. And that's just normal tobacco- not "rabbit tobacco" which is a whole other thing. But rabbits as pests for the tobacco industry is what inspired me to have Ghirahim smoke, not anything about him as a character, I just wanted to clear that up. I think that smoking would be a huge problem among the bunny community, because rabbits are, in the really real world, so drawn to tobacco that the plant itself has been genetically engineered to taste horrible to them, and they STILL get in the crops and take them for themselves. Hell, if you have pet rabbits and you don't watch them, they'll eat not only your cigarettes but discarded butts and ashes. Fucking ASHES. Have some respect, rabbits. And it's just as poisonous to them as it is to us- but just like humans, they use the nicotine for its calming effects- rabbits live most of their lives in fear, and if stepping outside for 15 minutes every couple hours will reduce anxiety, for some folks the cancer is a trade-off that they're willing to accept.
> 
> I'm going to include the following warning for this chapter: Ghirahim is held down and forced to watch a video Sidon knows will trigger his traumatic memories. It makes sense in context, but be warned that that is a thing.
> 
> As always I want to thank the wonderful MissGIllette, who continues to turn out amazing content, who let me use her AU, and who read these chapters before I posted them to make sure they stayed in-line with that Au. I really suggest everyone check out her work!
> 
> And if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way, I do have a tip jar: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Link never found out what Mr Ganondorf said to Ghirahim over the phone, because when he returned, Ghirahim worked intensely on his letter, and Link was happy to see him trying to make up for biting Ravio, and didn’t want to push him.  He didn’t even  _ really  _ try to push any of Sidon’s buttons, though he wasn’t particularly polite…

Link thought Sidon had been right when he called Ghirahim a brat.  That was the best word for him: a spoiled brat. He had been spoiled, Link was pretty sure, even before he was born.  He had always had the best, and he wasn’t used to censoring himself, so he always said what he meant and never really seemed to care if it insulted anyone else.  But that was coupled with this overwhelming desire that he seemed to have to let everyone else know that he was, somehow, better than them. Even humans. Link thought it was funny.  It made him want to kiss him again so he would shut up and get off his own dick for two minutes.

The rest of the day went by without a hitch- Ghirahim was telling the truth.  As long as no one tried to hurt him- treated him like the treasure he thought he was, he was perfectly fine, if a little bitchy.  He even sat on the edge of the couch while Sidon read to Link, and offered a running commentary that no one asked for on the subject of sea monsters.

“There are tentacle monsters like that in the Great Sea,” Ghirahim said without looking up from the sketchpad he had borrowed from Link, “I’ve seen them, when my master and I went on vacation.  They’re huge, and I often thought of trying to get one when it was young and train it.”

“Train it for what?” Sidon asked.

“By Din’s glowing eyes, you people have no imagination,” Ghirahim laughed.

Sidon closed the book and looked at the clock.

“Imagination,” he said chipperly, “I imagine you two must be exhausted.  Link doesn’t normally take much exercise.”

“And we’re all crashing,” Ghirahim said as if that meant something.  “Where am I sleeping?”

Link was getting tired, and it took a great deal of effort to pry himself from Sidon’s side.  He stretched his arms over his head and considered the question. He was wondering that himself.  Ghirahim had chewed through the lock on his door, which rendered it useless as a means of keeping track of him, and he hoped that Sidon wouldn’t tie him up again, because that just made him angry.  Sidon was staring at nothing in the general direction of the clock, so Link knew he was deep in thought.

“Can he sleep with us?” Link asked in a small voice.

“How sweet,” Ghirahim smirked.

“I suppose that…” Sidon considered, “Is probably the best way to keep track of him.”

“I probably won’t kill you in your sleep,” Ghirahim giggled.

“Lovely.” Sidon stood and lifted Link, who snuggled into his chest.  “If I agree not to put you in restraints-”

“Which I would let myself out of,” Ghirahim looked back down at the sketch pad.

“Do you promise not to do anything you know you shouldn’t?  Including stealing our things or hurting either of us?” Sidon finished.

“Sure, why not,” Ghirahim shrugged and flipped the sketch pad around.  The drawing was far better than Sidon had expected from a bunny, and depicted Link being attacked by a tentacle monster in a way that could not be spoken of in polite company.

“Really?” Sidon snarled, but Link, who hadn’t understood that he was supposed to be upset, laughed.  “Don’t encourage him, darling. Ghirahim, put that back with Link’s things and come to bed.”

“You don’t like it?” Ghirahim asked.

“Come to bed,” Sidon said again, and Link snuggled further into his chest.

 

Link was cuddled up in the blankets, listening to the sounds of Sidon in the bathroom going about his nightly routine when the bed dipped beside him and Ghirahim crawled in.  He, like Link, didn’t really own pajamas, and Link was so used to nudity among other bunnies that he didn’t question it. He just accepted the warmth and let Ghirahim wrap his arms around him.  It wasn’t until he tried to rub his face against his chest and heard him gasp, felt the change of the texture there, that his drowsy mind registered it as ‘not Ravio’.

“Sorry,” he said.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t hurt every time someone pressed against it,” Ghirahim huffed, “But I suppose it’s just going to be sensitive for the rest of my life.  My poor, broken heart.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Sidon sat on the edge of the bed to plug in his phone, “Link, come to this side.  I’m sleeping in the middle.”

“You’re not going to fuck him?” Ghirahim asked, arching one of his perfect eyebrows.

“Not tonight,” Sidon detangled Link from Ghirahim’s arms and picked him up, dragged him into his lap, and scooted to the middle of the bed.

“Then can I have him?” Ghirahim shifted to his knees to follow Link’s movement, and Link giggled.

“No.  He’s exhausted.” Sidon sat Link next to him, and Link snuggled into him instinctively.

“I can wake him up,” Ghirahim smiled, and reached over Sidon to pull Link into a kiss, but Link fought him, and he scowled.  “What?”

“I’m tired,” Link said, and pushed him away.

“Fine.”  Ghirahim rolled his eyes and laid down with his back to them.

It wasn’t the reaction Link had been expecting.  Normally, in that kind of situation he’d either be told by Sidon that he could stay awake just a little longer, that he would sleep so much better after Sidon had taken care of him- or be begged by Ravio until he felt so guilty he gave in.  No one had ever just accepted a rejection before. Was he angry? He must not have liked him that much to give up so easily.

“Are you ok?” He prompted.

“I’m going to sleep,” Ghirahim rolled back over to look at him, “Forgive me if I don’t feel like cuddling up with your master.  He irritates me.”

“Leave him alone, Link,” Sidon advised as Ghirahim turned his back on them again, but Link frowned.

“But…”

“Darling, you wouldn’t even sleep in the same bed with me for months,” Sidon reminded him.  “Give him some space.”

“It’s difficult to imagine,” Ghirahim said sarcastically, “that one would not want to sleep with you.”

He pulled the blanket over his head and burrowed himself as close as he could to the edge of the bed.  He tugged the blanket until he had created a sort of cocoon that provided the illusion of safety, and Link frowned at the little lump.

“Sidon, please,” Link whispered, “It’s too sad…”

“Give him some space,” Sidon said as he turned off the lamp.

 

* * *

 

Link waited for Sidon to fall asleep, waited for his breathing to slow, for the rise and fall of his chest to reach a certain rhythm, before he slowly, softly crawled over him,  and tugged the blanket from where Ghirahim had tucked it along his side. Ghirahim darted one hand to the side of the bed, and seemed confused when he found no dagger between the matress and the box springs.

“You scared the hell out of me!” he hissed, “Do not do that!”

“Sorry,” Link said, and crawled under the blanket, but Ghirahim wasn’t looking at him, his attention was trained on Sidon behind him.

“What do you want?” Ghirahim whispered, evidently deciding it was safe enough to lay back down.

“Do you want to cuddle?” Link asked.

“...I suppose.” 

He let Link wrap his arms around him.

 

* * *

 

Sidon hadn’t said anything about the way they had woken up, with Link sandwiched between them, and his own arm thrown over both bunnies.  Ghirahim hadn’t said anything either, but he had darted up and out of the bed the second his eyes opened, then locked himself in Link’s bathroom, and emerged with a new series of complaints.

“Sidon!” He said loudly enough for Link to hear him from his room, where he was picking out an outfit, “I need you to take me to…  whatever passes for civilization in Hyrule. I can’t bear the sight of myself. I need a groomer. My nails are atrocious and Master Ganondorf didn’t get any of my make-up!  I tend to hold myself to a certain standard, and I will not falter just because I find myself among strangers!”

“You’re not ready to go to town,” Sidon was also loud, and Link realized as he walked into Sidon’s bedroom that they were screaming from either side of the bathroom door.

“I played your little game!” Ghirahim yelled, “Don’t be a child.  I know you have a driver so you must have a car! I need to pick up a few things.”

“I know, I talked to Ganondorf,” Sidon said, “and you were good yesterday.  I’m proud of you. I got you a reward. Do you have any warm clothes? If you do, you can have it after breakfast.  If not we’ll… wrap you up in a blanket or something.”

“Are all your clothes supposed to be sexy?” Link asked.  The question had been on his mind since he first looked in Ghirahim’s suitcase.  Everything he wore looked like it might have come from the “Cuddlebunny” shop, and none of it looked like it would protect him from the cold.  In his mind, the tiny clothes were associated with sex, like the corset.

“I could make a potato sack sexy,” Ghirahim chuckled, and backed away from the door when Sidon came out of the bathroom.

“What’s a potato sack?” Link asked.

“I…  don’t actually know,” Ghirahim admitted, “It’s something my master used to say.”

Sidon laughed; it held real mirth, and it made Link happy to hear.

“That’s cute,” he said.  “Let me see your nails.”

Ghirahim had been wearing gloves, and pulled one of them off to show him.  Sidon sighed.

“It…  well I wouldn’t like to lie to you.  What happened?” He asked.

“I used to keep them long and beautiful,” Ghirahim explained, sliding the glove back on, “But after I TORE OUT THAT BITCH’S THROAT the police officers or animal control or somesuch attacked me, and while I was out, I’m told that I had extensive surgery and that I ‘am lucky they didn’t declaw you’- which only didn’t happen because Master Ganondorf pulled a lot of strings.”

“Declaw?” Link asked.

“It’s an amputation,” Ghirahim took Link’s hand and indicated the first knuckle of each of his fingers, “You can’t attack anyone if you can’t grow claws, I believe, is the logic.”

“I’ve always thought that was cruel,” Sidon said sadly, “it will never happen to you, darling, don’t think about it.”

“It’s so cute that  _ that  _ is the hill you’re willing to die on,” Ghirahim snapped.

“Don’t get snippy,” Sidon advised, “You’re doing so well.”

Ghirahim crossed his arms over his chest, and Sidon took in the tank top he was wearing that barely covered any of his flesh and had a huge hole cut from the chest.  He shook his head and thought of snow. He would need a warm blanket.

Ghirahim still winced when he tried to sit, and Link suspected he had had difficulty getting dressed, but he didn’t say anything about it, or mention his ‘reward’ through breakfast.  He was his usual, snippy self, until they made their way to the sitting room and Sidon began to gather supplies. He picked up his laptop, draped one of Link’s favorite throws around Ghirahim’s shoulders, and bundled himself and Link up in their winter coats.

“We’re going to take tea on the veranda,” he explained, and held out a leash.

“No,” Ghirahim backed away, “absolutely not!”

Sidon stuck his hand into the pocket of his coat and pulled out something Link had never seen, a small white and green box.  Whatever it was, it made Ghirahim shake and very seriously reconsider his options.

“I can’t have you running off,” Sidon explained, “And I won’t have you polluting my house.  But Ganondorf told me that half of this behavior is probably a nicotine fit. So you’re going to sit still, and we’re going to watch something, and if you’re good…  you can have one of these.”

“Nicotine?” Link asked.

“Darling, you go play in the snow; I don’t want you anywhere near him.  This is poison. And it gets in the air. But apparently all the Dragmires love their cigars, so-”

“Fine, fuck it FINE!” Ghirahim agreed, “But why the hell do I have to sit on your lap?”

“Because you’ll want someone to hold you,” Sidon explained as he clipped the leash into place.  Link knew that if Ghirahim really wanted to run, it wouldn’t stop him, and didn’t really understand the symbolic gesture, what it meant for Ghirahim to voluntarily let Sidon tether him, so he didn’t really see the point.

“I doubt that,” Ghirahim snarled, but he let Sidon lead them outside.  He even sat on Sidon’s lap and greedily took the box while Link watched.  He took out a long tube and tapped it against the palm of his hand.

“What are you doing?” Link asked.

“He has to wake up the cancer,” Sidon chuckled, setting up the computer, “Go play, darling.”

“I’m compacting the tobacco so it will burn smoothly,” Ghirahim explained, “Give me a light.”

Sidon glared at him, annoyed at the things he was teaching Link, then blinked, and, as if it had never occurred to him said, “Oh.  Yes. You need fire for that.”

“You motherfucker,” Ghirahim hissed, “You didn’t get-”

“Calm down; I didn’t do it on purpose,” Sidon assured him, “someone must have a lighter, for candles and fire and such.  Whalon!”

Link hovered around them to see what would happen, and Sidon sighed.

“Darling, please,” he said with exasperation creeping into his voice.

“What are the standards around here?” Ghirahim snatched the lighter that the servant held for him with no regard for the fact that it was lit, relit it, held the flame to the end of the tube and inhaled deeply.  Link watched him and loved the thick, earthy smell that wafted from him. He cautiously moved closer as Ghirahim continued, “He can have coke but he can’t have a cigarette?”

“Ghirahim!” Sidon snapped, and as Link sat down, “Link!”

“Can I watch?” Link asked, motioning to the computer.

Ghirahim leaned against Sidon and exhaled a cloud, and Link giggled at him.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Sidon said again, “But…  if we have to hold him down it couldn’t hurt to have an extra set of arms.  Ghirahim, I have no idea what makes you think you have fire privileges. Apologise to Mr Whaylon and give him back his lighter.”

“I’ll need it again,” Ghirahim explained, and to Mr Whaylon added, “that will be all.”

Mr Whaylon snickered at the idea of being dismissed by a bunny, and Ghirahim glared at him.

“Then give it to me,” Sidon held out his hand, “the deal was that you could have  _ one- _ don’t do that!  Don’t flick ashes into my garden!”

“Do you have an ashtray?” Ghirahim asked, then added, “You did not think this through…  which is odd to me. How many servants do you have? One out of five Hylians smoke. If you have more than five, one of them would have had these.  I thought about hunting them down myself, but had not yet reached that level of desperation.”

“Fine just…  don’t burn anything down,” Sidon sighed, and Ghirahim tensed in his arms.

“I don’t…  Sidon, I don’t…” he said, and Link moved closer to him to better see the screen, but Sidon expanded the video before he could read what Ghirahim had seen.

A pretty Hylian voice spoke over an image of the biggest house Link had ever seen.

“Local entrepreneur and philanthropist Demise Dragmire was found dead at his home today.”

“Let me up!” Ghirahim tried to stand, and Sidon grabbed him at the waist to pin him to the spot.

“Calm down,” Sidon said in his most soothing voice, “You have to face it.  You have to see her. We have to get you to a point where you can stay calm. You’ll have to see her in the courtroom.”

“FUCK YOU!” Ghirahim shouted

“Hylia Hyrule has been arrested under suspicion of murder,” the voice went on, and a picture of a beautiful Hylian woman with long, blond hair appeared on screen.  Link froze. 

No.  

No!  

GHIRAHIM WAS RIGHT!  SHE WAS A BITCH-whatever that was!

“I know her!” Link shouted, and he so rarely shouted that it startled Ghirahim enough for Sidon to get him under control.  “She took me to the shelter!”

“She’s a bitch!” Ghirahim said, seething.

“What do you mean?” Sidon asked Link, shouting to be heard over Ghirahim, who was still screaming to be released.

“That’s Zelda’s mom!” Link said.

“Mrs Hyrule is most well known for her charity work, and has pled ‘not guilty’ to all charges,” the voice continued, “but investigators say that she sustained several defensive wounds, and have identified the murder weapon as a ceremonial sword that belonged to Mrs Hyrule.  In a shocking twist of events, it seems that the only witness to the murder was Mr Dragmire’s pet bunny, who has been severely injured and is being held as evidence. We turn to animal psychologist Dr Malon to get a professional opinion on this unprecedented occurrence. Dr Malon, do you believe that a bunny has sufficient intelligence to testify in court?”

Sidon closed the computer with his elbow and the voice abruptly cut off.  Ghirahim had thrown his cigarette somewhere into the snow during the struggle, and was convulsing with sobs.  Sidon released him and he instantly threw both hands over his face. He had never stopped screaming, but now his shrieks were punctuated by wails.

“I’ll kill her; I’ll tear out her organs!  I’ll rip her to shreds! I’ll destroy her!”

Sidon wrapped his arms around him and pried his hands away from his hair.

“You’re too pretty to destroy your hair,” Sidon said, and Link agreed.  “You did… much better than I thought you would. I’m proud of you. You didn’t attack me.”

“I’ve never felt this kind of hate,” Ghirahim said, “I am outraged…  furious… physically sick with anger. Let me go. Let me go!”

“Are you going to throw up?” Link asked.

“Maybe,” Ghirahim shoved himself off Sidon and ran for the banister, and Link went after him to hold his hair.  Sidon dropped the leash and watched them.

“I hate her so much,” Ghirahim explained, “It’s…  it’s all I can feel. It’s my entire being. This anger it…  it  _ hurts _ .  It  _ physically hurts _ .  I have to destroy something!”

Link rubbed his back.  “She took me to the shelter.  Zelda is her child.”

“When did that happen?” Ghirahim turned to look at him and his eyes terrified Link.  He froze, and words left him. “WHEN!?”

“Ghirahim, calm down,” Sidon demanded, stood, and picked up the leash.  He draped the blanket back over his shoulders and held out another cigarette for him.  “You’re doing really well. Don’t attack Link. You should be proud of yourself. You weren’t exactly a gentleman or a good bunny, but you can be.  We can work on this. Ghirahim,” he bent to be more on his level and look him in the eye, “I know that you don’t like me. But I really believe that you can do this.  You can go in front of all those people and tell them what happened, and they will lock her away for the rest of her life. Do you want to ruin her life?”

“More than I have ever wanted anything,” Ghirahim seethed, and took the cigarette.

“Then let me work with you.  We have to get to a point where you don’t look crazy.  The defense is going to try to paint you as a stupid animal, but you aren’t.  You have to look sane, and you have to look intelligent. She has to be the irrational one.  Link, darling,” Sidon still held Ghirahim by the shoulders when he turned to look at him, “Is that woman really your former owner?  Are you sure?”

Link nodded.  He remembered that ride to the shelter well.  He didn’t know where they were going, and the panic that overtook him when he realized that ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ were never coming back had lasted for weeks.

“Yes!” Link said, “That’s Mom!”  He pointed to the closed laptop for good measure, “She’s so mean!  She yelled at us and she took me away! She wouldn’t let us make forts with the furniture, and got mad all the time!” 

“SHE KILLED MY MASTER!” Ghirahim shrieked to the sky, and Link threw his arms around him.

Sidon held the lighter for him, and in a quiet, soothing voice he said, “She can’t hurt either of you any more.  I won’t allow it.” He clicked the fire into existence, and Ghirahim inhaled, and held the back of Link’s head with his free hand.

“You finish that and we’ll head back inside, and you can tell Link and I all about it, alright?”  Ghirahim nodded, and Sidon pulled the blanket more closed around his shoulders, “Keep that on, darling, it’s cold.”

Link blinked.

Darling?

Since when was Ghirahim ‘darling’?

Link hugged him tighter, and whispered, “I don’t like her either.”

“Good,” Ghirahim snarled, “fuck her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said before that I was going to link to each new chapter of my rough draft of my original book as I record it, so if anyone would like to leave me feedback to help me write a better second draft, I would really appreciate it. Chapter 3 is up on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFpxE8yfPlE&list=PLq9RN0Mxi3F4S15hqabk0uLuV9CDbfTDG&t=14s&index=4
> 
> Thanks for everything!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghirahim is forced to practice testifying- because Sidon is actually doing what Ganondorf hired him to, and his story breaks Link's little bunny heart.
> 
> Also, yhall remember Ravio? He's still alive, still perky, and still here to trigger Ghirahim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you like this chapter. Kind of a lot of rape and murder in this chapter... so be prepared going in. There's no actual physical rape, but keep in mind that no one ever dealt with that in any healthy way and the survivor is being forced to live with and rely on their abuser, so... yup.
> 
> As always I wanna thank Miss Gillette- I've got her new story pulled up but have not gotten a chance to read it yet because life has been crazy this week- but it's probably amazing like everything else she writes! She's letting me use her AU even though I have stretched it almost beyond recognition. I've not talked to you in a while MissG, and I know you're probably bored to tears by this story, but I love you and your work!
> 
> I also want to thank everyone who has stuck it out this long. I'm going to try my hardest to sit down and write an ending this week. It's so long you guys it needs to end. It needs to end so I can work on Hyrule Warriors- people want more Hyrule Warriors. I don't know why because I tried to reread it and it is AWFUL. But I know yhall want more so I want to work on that. Maybe I should reboot it instead of continuing... people who have read that- when does it get readable? If I did a rewrite/second draft now that it's not just stress relief and I actually care, how far should I go? Like what should be considered season 1? Because if it's the whole first season like... fuck that I'll just continue and yhall can pretend it's a TV show and just be like, "Yeah you have to sit through season 1 but it starts rolling in season 2".
> 
> Legit question: What kind of ending would you guys like to see? Ambiguous, happy, or realistic? Hell, should I write out all 3 like the movie Clue? If I write organically to see what happens, the story is going to be a million chapters long and no one has time for that. I'm not good at editing myself down.
> 
> If anyone wants to throw a couple bucks at me, I do have a tip jar: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Ghirahim said to the sliding glass door as he let his gaze unfocus, and the garden became a sheet of white.

Link nodded, because that made sense.  He completely understood why Ghirhaim wouldn’t want to dredge up memories from the worst night of his life.

“If you want to be successful in this goal,” Sidon reminded him, “You have to be able to talk about it, in front of a crowd of people, peacefully.  We believe in you, don’t we Link? You can do it!”

Link nodded, and shoved himself off the floor to move closer to where Ghirahim sat, but he was still weary of touching him, so wound up hovering awkwardly about three feet away, instead of actually comforting him like he wanted to.

“You believe in me,” Ghirahim sneered, and sank to the floor, “well that makes it soooooo much easier, doesn’t it?”  He deflated, and changed the subject, “The solstice is coming up. My master always had huge parties; the estate would be full of guests.”

“Focus,” Sidon said, and Ghirahim ignored him in favor of watching the flurries of light snow drift down from the sky.

“I told him not to talk to her,” he said, after a long silence, “I told him not to let her in.  I reminded him of everything she had done to him. But he didn’t listen. The problem with you humans,” he hissed, “Is that you don’t listen!”

“How did she kill him?” Sidon asked, and Ghirahim pulled his knees up to his chest, and every muscle in his body tensed.

Link scooted closer, and held out a hand.  Sidon shook his head at him, and he lowered it.

“She wanted her sword back,” Ghirahim explained, “She said it belonged to her family or…  somesuch nonsense. She said that she missed him, that they used to live together- I suppose they did.  It was before I was born. I don’t know why that memory made him happy, made him let his guard down… he always had terrible memories of her.”

“But he let her in?” Sidon asked.

“Yes.  I told him not to trust her, not to take her to bed, which is what she wanted…  but he didn’t listen. He… brushed me off. He told me to leave, but I didn’t. I didn’t trust her.” Ghirahim hugged himself, “I could tell.  I knew she was evil from the moment I laid eyes on her. I’m a very good judge of character. I think I may be bred for it. That’s how I saw through you so quickly.”

“He didn’t make you leave?” Sidon asked, “You disobeyed him?”

“I am trained to keep my master safe,” Ghirahim snarled, “It’s called ‘Intelligent Disobedience”.  Breeders understand that sometimes, bunnies are smarter than humans. I relied on that training. I knew not to trust her, knew better than he did.  And I was right.” He leaned against the doorframe and chuckled, “Imagine that.”

“What happened?” Sidon prodded.

“I wasn’t allowed on the bed, and I didn’t particularly want to watch them, so I took Demise’s phone to distract myself.  I could still hear it- he was a little drunk, and he… I don’t like the way he said her name. I know what he’s like, in that situation.  I knew he would fall asleep and she would likely rob us blind. It was so strange how easily she ensnared him- they were RIVALS!”

“Stay calm,” Sidon shushed, “You’re doing well.  Keep going. Tell us how it happened.”

“She had asked for her sword back, and he just GAVE it to her, before this, after dinner, but she had it!  The police asked me if that’s what she used… I think they knew already. I think, now that…” he took a deep breath, “in hindsight, I think she had tried it before.  He had a scar, on his chest, that he didn’t like to talk about. And when your master tells you ‘no’ enough… you stop asking.”

“Is that what she used?” Sidon asked, leaning forward on the couch, and Link realized that he had been leaning forward too.  He sat up straight, because he had let himself almost touch Ghirahim again.

“Yes.” he said softly, “I don’t know why.  She had to know she would get caught. But I knew what she was going to do, and I fought her.”

He slid his hand over his damaged ear.

“Did you have a weapon?” Sidon asked.

“No,” Ghirahim said as if the admission caused him physical pain, “I made a mistake.  There were daggers in the mattress, but I was so angry, I didn’t… I didn’t think. She played me for a fool.  But I am a bunny, and bunnies are meant to burrow- so I burrowed into her flesh. Whereever I could reach. I don’t…  know how she got me down, but she did, and suddenly she was standing on top of me, and some of the blood was mine… but she was injured, too.  She sheathed that ridiculous sword in my chest… why? It’s such an odd way to attack someone. We had guns…”

“Keep going, you’re doing so well,” Sidon praised, and Link nodded.

Link didn’t really want to hear the rest of the story, but he knew Ghirahim  _ had  _ to tell it, had to practice so he could tell it in this ‘courtroom’.

“I couldn’t move very well after that,” Ghirahim continued, “and she must not have been as injured as I thought.  I think… I think she drugged him, because he didn’t wake up… he would have woken up, wouldn’t he? She cut him so deeply I saw the blade come out the bottom of the box springs from where I lay on the floor.  I knew I had to get up, to go after her… but I just couldn’t move fast enough. I had lost a lot of blood… I couldn’t see…”

“How are you alive?” Link asked in awe, and Ghirahim turned to look at him.

“My master, unlike yours, had trained me to call for help in a situation like that.  ‘If we can’t count on the cops, what the hell are we paying them for?’ he would say.” Ghirahim explained, with anger in his voice, “Which is a valid question!  What the hell are we paying them for?”

Sidon made a mental note to coach Ghirahim not to testify that Demise was bribing the police force.

“I blacked out,” Ghirahim rubbed his eyes on his glove, “I woke up when someone moved me… I must have been fighting them…  they had to strap me down; they told me that they were going to give me something to help me sleep. And they did. I woke up with bandages and Master Ganondorf shrieking about me in the office of our private vet.”

“You don’t remember assaulting a police officer?” Sidon asked.

“No, but that does sound like something I would do.” Ghirahim shrugged.  After a second, he asked, “He’s really dead, isn’t he? It isn’t some sort of ruse…  he would have told me. Even if he hadn’t told Master Ganondorf, he would tell me.”

“Yes,” Sidon said softly, “He is.  I’m sorry.”

“I don’t need your pity, human,” Ghirahim hissed, and turned his face back to the snow.

“You have it, whether you need it or not,” Sidon explained, patiently, kindly, “I think you were a very good bunny, Ghirahim.  You tried so hard, you nearly died yourself. He would be proud of you.”

“Don’t pretend you knew him,” Ghirahim said without turning around.  When he spoke again, it was too low for a Hylian to hear, but Link’s bunny hearing picked up on it, and it broke his heart.  “I was weak. I failed him. He’s dead, because I didn’t save him. And if I cannot bring him back, I will punish the person who took him from me.”

 

* * *

 

“I want to reward you,” Sidon said softly, and he stood over Ghirahim, petting him between the ears, “You did really well, telling that story.  And that’s the most important thing we need to work on. If you can tell it well, and control your temper, you can destroy her. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

“I’d rather you didn’t touch me,” Ghirahim said without much energy, and rested his chin on the top of Link’s head.  Link had crawled into his lap, because he suspected Ghirahim needed something to hug, and he had briefly considered bringing him a stuffed animal, but part of him thought that Ghirahim would be insulted by that.  He seemed to dislike things he considered ‘childish’. So Link would be his plushie.

Sidon stopped touching him and stepped back to look at the two of them.  He raised his phone to take a picture, and Ghirahim threw one hand over his face to block it.

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” He shrieked, and Link was confused.  He pulled back to look up at him, and Ghirahim saw the emotion on his face and explained, “I normally love photography, but I look atrocious.  I won’t have my image sullied.”

“Ghirahim,” Sidon huffed, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I need to go somewhere and get some supplies- cosmetics, hair-care products, bath products- and I really still need my nails done.  You won’t take any pictures of me in this state! I won’t be blackmailed!” Ghirahim snapped.

“I wasn’t trying to blackmail you,” Sidon said, kindly, “You’re so defensive.  I genuinely thought you were cute.”

“Seriously, what are the standards in this place?” Ghirahim barked.  “No pictures.”

“Fine,” Sidon slipped his phone into his pocket, “But acknowledge that you two are adorable.”

Link giggled, and snuggled into Ghirahim’s chest softly, mindful of the injury there.

“How long am I to be under house arrest?” Ghirahim asked, “I’ve done what you asked.”

“This really bothers you, doesn’t it?” Sidon frowned, “This vanity is…  you’re honestly worse than Link. How about this? I’ll get you the things you want, because you were so good.  You can order them.”

He walked back to the coffee table and opened his laptop.

“If you do it right now, they should be here in two days.” He smiled.

“Link didn’t know how to work your phone, yet you offer me the computer with full confidence.” Ghirahim said as he gently pushed Link out of his lap.  He didn’t like the idea of being forced to sit between Sidon’s legs to use the computer, so he sat on the other side of the table and spun it to face him instead.

“Yes, thank you for reminding me.  Link, darling, come here,” Sidon pulled his phone back out and smiled at Link, and Link came to sit beside him.  Sidon threw one arm over his shoulders, and Link cuddled into his side. He was shocked when Sidon handed him the phone.

“When it looks like this,” Sidon explained, “it’s locked.  But you can still make an emergency call by hitting the little green button.”  Link hit the button and smiled, and Sidon continued, “Good. Then type in 9-1-1.  No, don’t actually do it. They’ll come here if you do. Can you remember that?”

Link nodded, and smiled.

“Tell me what to do,” Sidon prompted.

“Hit the green button and hit 9 1 1,” Link said.

“Perfect, darling,” Sidon kissed the top of his head, “Then someone will answer and you tell them what’s going on.”

“Which will be the hardest part for you,” Ghirahim looked at them over the top of his computer, “So I don’t know why he’s glossing over that.  You don’t actually have to say anything, little toy, they’ll come to your house if you’re silent.”

Sidon rolled his eyes.

“You try to turn everything into a fight.  I wish you wouldn’t. Be nice to Link.” 

“I would be very nice to Link,” Ghirahim caught Link’s eyes and licked his lips, then turned his attention back to the screen.

“Would you?” Sidon asked skeptically.  “I would love to believe that…”

“He is nice to me,” Link promised Sidon, “He’s trying so hard.”

“Do you like this new bunny, darling?” Sidon pushed a stray strand of Link’s hair out of his face, and Link nodded, then corrected himself.

“I want to,” He said, and when he shifted his eyes to Ghirahim he caught him staring over the top of the screen again and blushed.

“I think you could learn some things from him, if I could trust you to play nicely together,” Sidon thought aloud, and neither of them saw Ghirahim roll his eyes.

“A skill like that,” Ghirahim explained, “takes honing and practice.  He can’t be expected to master it in one lesson. And he doesn’t have anyone of any patience to practice on.”

“You’re calling me impatient?” Sidon asked.

“I can’t believe you thought that statement required clarity,” Ghirahim turned his eyes back to the screen, “I was so straightforward.  You… and I am being dead serious here- this is real constructive criticism for your overall lifetime happiness- you should work to develop some active listening skills.  Because you are terrible at it and it will improve your quality of life. At the very least you’d get better blowjobs.”

“I listen to Link.  I’m trying to get him to speak more,” Sidon cuddled Link into his chest.

“Sidon…  I’m trying so hard not to rip out your throat, do you understand that?  Let’s not pretend, after what you did to me, that you listen to people when they speak.” Ghirahim snarled, and Link stared at the locked phone screen.

He jumped when it began to ring.  The phone vibrated, and a picture of Hilda’s smiling face popped up on the screen.  Sidon kissed Link on the top of the head and took the phone from him to put to his ear.

“Hello,” he said cheerfully, and Link snuggled contentedly onto his lap.  He looked up to see Ghirahim motioning for him, and carefully extracted himself from Sidon’s arms to go sit with him.  Ghirahim grabbed his face and stared at it, moved it side to side, as if he was studying it, and released him. 

“Green and gold, right?” Ghirahim asked, and with no context, all Link could do is arch an eyebrow and nod.

“Tacky,” Ghirahim said, “But I could make it work.”

Link looked at the screen and was pleasantly surprised to see that Ghirahim was actually looking at things to buy.  Sidon demanded his attention, though, when he called out Ghirahim’s name.

“Ghirahim,” he said, holding out the phone, “Ravio wants to talk to you.”

“Can he speak?” Ghirahim asked with genuine interest, “That shocks me.”  He took the phone, slid his thumb across it to turn on the speaker, and asked, “Yes?”

“Ghirahim?” Ravio’s voice was a little gravely, a little raw, but it held his normal chipper attitude, “The bunny from Lorule?”

“What could you possibly have to say to me?” Ghirahim asked, and Link watched his face with interest, “I was under the impression I had severely injured you.”

“You did,” Ravio agreed, “But I got better!  And I was worried about you, the whole time. I wanted to see if you were ok.”

“Of course I’m alright, you ignorant toy,” Ghirahim huffed, “You didn’t get a scratch on me.  Let’s not pretend that was a fight.”

“No, I mean, your heart,” Ravio said, and Ghirahim blinked.

“She didn’t carve it out,” Ghirahim said after he had processed the question, “I believe my resiliency knows no bounds.”

“No,” Ravio tried again to clarify, “I mean your…  uh… emotions? Emotional heart. You were really upset and fighting and hurt and scared.  I was hoping you were doing better.”

“What reason could you possibly have,” Ghirahim asked, “To care about my emotional state?”

“Hillie said that you were REAL bad, that I shouldn’t have tried to hug you.  She said that you were even worse than Link was when I first met him. She said that you’d been screaming and crying and acting out for days.  I don’t want anyone to feel like that. I want you to be ok. I want us to be friends. I’m sorry I scared you.” Ravio said sincerely, “I scared Link too, once, and he started screaming and crying, but he didn’t attack me.  I think I… try to hard? I’m not mad that you bit me. I got a scar now and it looks really cool.”

“You aren’t?” Ghirahim asked, as if the thought had never occurred to him.

“No, I know you were upset.  I was trying to help. When I’m upset I like hugging people.  But Hillie says that not everyone is like me, and I shouldn’t force people to touch me when they don’t want to.  Because they’ll bite me. Not just you, but lots of bunnies.” Ravio said as if he was repeating a great wisdom.

“Your master, Hilda is an admirable Hylian,” Ghirahim said, “I wanted her to know- I wrote a letter to this effect, but it has not yet been delivered- that I sincerely regret my behavior towards her when she stayed with us at my master’s estate.  It was rude and uncooth and I want to assure her that that is not my normal temperament. It was… an extremely stressful time.”

“She knows you were just in a bad mood,” Ravio assured him, “Anybody would be, after what you went through.  I’m so sorry about Demise, Ghirahim.”

“Thank you.  But tell her that for me, would you?” Ghirahim asked.

“Hey can I call you ‘Ghira’?  ‘Ghirahim’ is a mouthful.” Ravio asked.

“No.  I would prefer my full title, ‘Lord Ghirahim’.” Ghirahim snarled.

“How about just ‘G’?” Ravio asked.

“No.”

“‘G-Bun’?”

“ _ No _ .”

“G-string?” Ravio giggled.

“I’m hanging up,” Ghirahim said, and moved to do just that, but Ravio’s voice sounded so regretful he stopped himself.

“I’m sorry!  Don’t be mad!” He begged.

“You and your eternal optimism grate on my nerves,” Ghirahim rolled his eyes, “What do you want?”

“Me and Hillie want you and Link to come over, once you’re good enough,” Ravio explained, “I think we can be friends!  I’ll show you my room! I’ve got all kinds of stuff! Link has seen it! Did he show you the snow fort?”

“No.  Sidon won’t let me out of the house unless I’m tethered to him,” Ghirahim sideeyed Sidon.

“Because you kept trying to run away the whole time Hillie and her friends had you in the car?” Ravio asked, and continued without waiting for an answer, “I have to wear a leash too, because sometimes I get really excited and I run places, like stores I like, and bunnies run REALLY fast, compared to Hylians, so if I go somewhere Hillie can’t see me I can get kidnapped and if you get kidnapped you can get raped and murdered.”

“You know what that is?” Ghirahim asked, as if he had just found a valuable piece of information, and flicked his eyes toward Sidon.

“Yeah, Hillie told me about it so I won’t get kidnapped.” Ravio said proudly, “I know all sorts of things.  I’m really smart for a bunny.”

“What was the other thing you said?” Ghirahim asked, as if he was genuinely curious, “Something and murdered?”

“Raped,” Ravio repeated in his normal, cheery voice.

“What in the world is that?” Ghirahim asked, keeping his eyes locked to Sidon.  Sidon narrowed his and leaned forward.

“I don’t think we need to scare Link with those kinds of stories,” Sidon said, “He knows better than to run away, don’t you darling?”

Link nodded happily.

“What is it, though?” Ghirahim asked.

“If bunnies are bad and run away and get kidnapped,” Ravio explained, “The kidnappers can do horrible things to them.  They’ll beat you up, and make you have sex you don’t like until it hurts, and when they’re done, they’ll kill you.”

“That sounds horrible!” Ghirahim said in mock shock, with a face that did not match his voice,  Link’s shock, however, was very real, and his grip had tightened on the table while he whimpered in fear.

“I hope you two are happy!” Sidon said as he moved to pick Link up, “Darling that will never happen to you, because I will never let you out of my sight, do you understand me?  You will be mine forever! I will protect you, forever!”

“Don’t be scared, Link!” Ravio begged, “It’s just something that happens if kidnappers can find you!  They can’t get you when you’re with your owner.”

“What about me?” Ghirahim asked, “My master is…  he’s not here to protect me.” His jovial tone was gone.  He seemed genuinely sad.

“Sidon will protect you!” Ravio proclaimed happily, “He watched me when Hillie had to leave to get you!”

“What if I don’t like Sidon?” Ghirahim asked, “What if I don’t trust him with my life?”

“I can’t imagine anyone not liking Sidon,” Ravio giggled.

“Well imagine this, little toy,” Ghirahim spoke quietly, and with great meaning, “Imagine being taken from your home, against your will, without your master, and left with a stranger.  Imagine being shocked, starved, held down and fucked against your will. Imagine being told that if you don’t allow these things, you will be killed. Is that the scenario you’re talking about?  Is that a ‘kidnapping’?”

“Yes!” Ravio said proudly, as if he thought he had taught Ghirahim something, “That’s what happens to bad bunnies who try to run away.  That’s why you have to wear a leash sometimes.”

“Oh fuck you,” Ghirahim snarled.

“Really?” Ravio asked, confused by the intonation, “I don’t understand…  you sound mad. And you didn’t even want me hugging you before…”

“Ghirahim, give me the phone,” Sidon sat Link on the couch and reached over the coffee table to take it from him.

“Don’t FUCKING TOUCH ME!” Ghirahim screamed.

“Are you ok?  What’s going on?” Ravio asked.

“Calm down,” Sidon said in his most soothing voice, “You were doing so well, don’t lose it now.”

“Sidon?” It was Hilda’s voice on the phone now, “Is everything alright?”

“He’s upset,” Sidon explained.

“Ghirahim?” Hilda asked.

“I’m not…  well yes, I am upset, but it is justified!” Ghirahim snapped, and to Sidon he added, “Do not touch me!”

“Just give me my phone,” Sidon said softly.

Link couldn’t believe what happened next.  Ghirahim glared up at Sidon, reared back his arm, and threw the phone as hard as he could at him.  It hit Sidon in the chest and bounced, landed on the hardwood, and shattered. Small pieces of plastic went flying, and Sidon scrambled to put them together while Ghirahim stood, picked up the computer, walked over to the sliding glass door, opened it, and casually strolled outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys so Chapter 4 of Emerald Knight is up on Youtube: https://youtu.be/ClOwBYlgtDw and I'm thinking of posting this story to Royal Road once I get a cover drawn- to test the waters with a fanfic before I actually dive in with a book.
> 
> In other Youtube news... I think I might try to make my channel a legit channel instead of just storage space for home movies of my animals. I'm thinking of doing letsplays and narrations, more reviews, stuff like that. I mention it here because I think that one of the first things I do if I do letsplays will be my favorite Zelda game. I noticed with my Hyrule Warriors fic that a lot of people thought it was weird what a huge Zelda nerd I was- they kept attributing things that the amazing writing and production staff had come up with to me; which made me kind of uncomfortable. So if you wanted to see somebody ramble nonsensically about something that they are super obsessed with I thought yhall might like that. Probably would have been better to say that on the HW fic, but fun fact: I've not really slept in like 3 days and I am WAY too old to be doing that- but I had to get some stuff done and I've not crashed yet from the pep pills and caffine. Really looking forward to that crash. It's gonna be great, I'm gonna sleep so good, and then I'll have the day off so I can dream about my crazy youtube dream and maybe make some chocolate chip nanner bread. I've only got 1 rotten nanner, and I think you have to have 2, but I'm gonna figure something out.
> 
> I need to make a list of all the shit I need to do tomorrow, but I just don't forsee that happening. I'm scared to write a video description for the beta chapter... But I need to do that before I go to bed...


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link finally has the amount of bullshit he's expected to deal with exceed his capacity for dealing with bullshit.
> 
> Welcome, Link, to the emotional state Ghirahim has been in since you met him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like drama. I've got no new bunny facts or anything like that to add this time- this is some gool, old-fashioned fanficness. Just classic "well known characters in a new universe/situation" drama.
> 
> As always, I wanna thank MissG for letting me run her AU into the ground and beat it like a dead horse, and reccomend that EVERYONE go over and check out her work.
> 
> I didn't write more last week like i said I was going to, because I was working on my youtube channel. My internet is so shitty that if you're trying to upload a video, you can't get into Google docs. So that's fun. Still working on that ending, though, I swear.
> 
> If anyone wants to leave a tip, I have a ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

“Did he just leave!?” Sidon asked in shock, “He was wearing a tanktop!  Has he lost his mind?”

“Did we…  kidnap him?” Link asked.  He was still sitting on the couch, and he curled up into himself.  His ears had flattened to his head, and he stared at the open doorway.

“Darling, of course not, where did you get that idea?” Sidon asked as he snapped the battery back in his phone and stood.  He fitted the back of the phone back on as he tugged on his coat, and sat it on the coffee table to put on his boots. Link noticed spiderwebbed cracks covered the screen as it booted up.  It appeared to still work, more or less.

Sidon huffed when he picked up the phone and noticed how broken it was.

“Well, at least I can still track him,” he said under his breath, and Link watched him tap the screen, then Sidon snickered, “He didn’t go far.  He’s still in the garden. I’ll go bring him back. This is going to be fun.” Even Link registered the sarcasm on the last sentence, and as soon as Sidon was outside, Link jumped up and made a beeline for the coat rack.

“I know you’re out here,” Sidon called to the darkness, “Ghirahim!  Come out! It’s snowing again! You’ll freeze to death!”

Link zipped past him, and hopped into the snow fort.  Sidon watched the two dots on his phone merge.

Ghirahim looked up from the computer he had open on his lap and snarled, “Why did you follow me?”

Link sat up on his knees and looked around the inside of the fort.  The posters that he and Ravio had drawn were still lying on the floor with the markers.  He wondered what happened to markers when you froze them.

“Did you know, little toy,” Ghirahim asked, “that when your master replaced the camera in your room he added several more?  I would dare say that there is no longer anywhere in your home that is not under constant surveillance. Except this place. This small burrow you created for yourself and your friend.  How long before he invades it as well, I wonder?”

Link crawled to Ghirahim’s side and looked at the computer screen, which showed a stream of several different videos, all depicting rooms inside the house, and one of the garden, where he saw Sidon standing on the porch.

“We didn’t kidnap you,” Link said quietly.

“That isn’t the point,” Ghirahim huffed.  “It just… it’s so wrong, little toy. It’s all gone so terrible wrong, and it will continue to be wrong, forever.  I had a purpose, once. I had beauty and safety… I had a master who loved me. But now… now I look back, and I look forward, and I look at the present, and I wonder…  if it wasn’t always a little wrong and I just didn’t see it because I wasn’t looking for it. I wonder if there haven’t always been people like you, and if the people like me weren’t blind to it…  if terrible masters, like yours, exist- are allowed to exist… is there a problem with the whole system? Are we meant to exist like this?”

“We’re not people,” Link corrected, “There aren’t ‘people like you’ and ‘people like me’.  We’re bunnies.”

Ghirahim stared at him, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and opened them.  Link felt him staring into him, and didn’t like the way he looked at him. He had never liked it. Ghirahim looked at Link, had always looked at Link, as if was human.

“Sidon’s not terrible,” Link said defensively.  “You’re just mad because Ravio scared you.”

“Ravio didn’t scare me, you ignorant toy,” Ghirahim snapped, “Ravio is incapable of inspiring fear.  I could crush out his life in a second if the mood struck me.”

“Link?” Sidon asked, and Link could see him on the computer, crouching in front of the snow fort, “Ghirahim?”

“FUCK OFF!” Ghirahim shrieked.

“You’ll freeze to death out here,” Sidon explained practically, “Come inside.  I’m not going to hurt you. No one is going to hurt you. You’re safe. You have to learn to trust again.”

“I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you!” Ghirahim snarled, then amended, “Actually I could probably throw you a great distance.  I trust you significantly less than I could throw you.”

“I don’t mind you hiding,” Sidon explained patiently, “Link hid the entire first week he lived with me.  I just want you to do it indoors where it’s safe and warm. I just want you to be safe. I don’t want to drag you back to safety kicking and screaming.  Come back inside.”

“Please come inside,” Link begged.

“I don’t want to be around him.  I don’t want to look at him.” Ghirahim closed the computer and sat it in the snow, and reached out to Link.  He brushed a strand of his hair out of his eyes and asked, “Why don’t you understand me? I know why Sidon doesn’t, but you, little toy…  Why must you be so blind?”

“I want to,” Link promised, “Come inside and…  we’ll take the blankets off my bed and out of the closet and make a burrow, and we’ll stay there until you calm down.”

“No, we won’t,” Ghirahim shook his head, “Your master will beat me for destroying his things.”

Link took a deep breath and considered his options before he said, “Let me talk to him,” And crawled out of the little opening in the fort, where he found Sidon crouching.  Sidon wrapped him protectively in his strong arms, and Link melted into the sensation.

“He’s scared of you, Sidon,” Link said quietly, and the admission hurt him, because Ghirahim was wrong.  He did understand. He completely understood why someone would be afraid of Sidon. “You’re so big and strong and that collar hurt- it hurt you too.  He’s scared of you.”

“Would you judge me harshly, darling,” Sidon asked quietly, almost reverently, “If I admitted that in a moment of panic, I may have made a mistake?”

“Mistake?” Link asked, and pulled away to look at Sidon’s face.  He had never considered the idea that Sidon could make mistakes. Sidon was his owner, his Hyian, his human.  Sidon couldn’t make mistakes. If Sidon made a mistake, it could affect not just him, but Link and any other bunny he was taking care of.

Link realized something in that moment.  Sidon loved him, loved him deeply- but that didn’t make him perfect.  And the image of perfection that Link had projected onto him had to be impossible to live up to.  It had to be stressful. Sidon was trying his best, but he wasn’t a god. Link felt ashamed of the way he had been thinking.  He wanted to love Sidon, but maybe love didn’t mean ‘accepting someone as perfect’. Maybe it meant ‘knowing that someone can be a little bit bad, and caring about them anyway’.

Link burrowed his face in Sidon’s chest, and thought of the shows he used to watch with Zelda- shows that were designed to teach small humans how to grow into adults who could navigate the world around them.  Link had absorbed many lessons from those shows, and he fell back on one now.

“It’s ok to make mistakes,” Link said, as he pulled back and cradled Sidon’s face in both hands, “As long as you work to fix it.  Mistakes don’t… don’t make a person bad.”

Sidon mimicked Link, cradling his face, and pressed their foreheads together.

“I just didn’t want him to hurt you,” Sidon said as if it was a confession, “Not after what he did to Ravio.  I can’t bear the thought, darling. I love you so much. I want you to know how much I love you.”

“I love you, Sidon,” Link said, because it was true.  The snow fell gently around them, and he didn’t feel the fear he normally felt in the darkness, because Sidon was with him, a warm wall against the cold and monsters.  It took a great effort to extract himself from that wall when he promised, “I’ll tell him. He’ll come out.”

Sidon kissed the hair on the top of Link’s head, and nodded.  Link only lingered a moment longer before he crawled back into the fort.  Ghirahim was leaning against the far wall- he had seen everything.

“He’s finally ready to apologise to me?” He asked with a snark.  Link nodded, and Ghirahim shouted in Sidon’s general direction. “Is this some sort of ruse?”

“No, Ghirahim,” Sidon had exasperation in his voice, “I know that I hurt you with that collar.  I’m willing to admit that. There was probably a better way to handle that. I panicked because you nearly killed Ravio.  Will you admit that you shouldn’t have done that? That you do bear some responsibility here?”

“He pushed me!” Ghirhaim snarled, “I told him not to touch me!”

Sidon sighed, and Link glared at him, and Ghirahim felt his resolve waver.

“However, I will admit, reluctantly, that my reaction was more a result of my own frayed nerves than his reprehensible behavior.  His immaturity, on its own, should not have been enough to provoke that extreme behavior. I shouldn’t have bitten him so severely.  I’m relieved that he isn’t dead.”

“Can we work on some healthier ways to channel that anger?” Sidon asked, and added, “I’m really trying here, Ghirahim.  I’ve been sticking to our bargain. Yet you’re still stealing and breaking things. I want us to be able to trust and respect each other.  You were right. You can’t learn anything from me if you don’t respect me. And your respect does matter. You matter. I think you can do this.  I believe in you. Link believes in you, too, don’t you darling?”

Link nodded frantically from where he was still kneeling.

“Are you going to ‘punish’ me?” Ghirahim asked.

“You went back on your word,” Sidon reminded him, “You promised Link and I that you wouldn’t do this anymore.  And we’ve held up what we promised. Do you think you deserve it?”

Ghirahim didn’t answer, and Link knew why.  He did think he deserved it. He couldn’t lie, but he couldn’t bring himself to admit it, either.

“I think that freezing to death is too extreme of a punishment, however,” Sidon was on his hands and knees looking in at them, “Come inside where you will be safe.”

“What are you going to do with me?” Ghirahim snarled.

“I don’t know.  We’ll decide on something together.” Sidon explained, “I think you need some say in decisions in order to develop trust.  I promise you, Ghirahim, that I can listen. But I want both of you indoors. I have some bunny beverages- that hot chocolate to warm you up.”

Ghirahim considered his options, sighed, and motioned for Link to lead the way out of the fort.  He picked up the computer and followed him.

  


* * *

  


Sidon frowned at his computer.  As the snow melted, it was wet at the bottom.  He folded a throw from the couch on the coffee table and sat the computer on it, wondering if it, like his phone, had been destroyed.

Ghirahim had no coat to struggled out of like Link, and stood by the door with his arms crossed over his chest, regarding the room as if he may bolt at any second.  Link hung up his coat, looked into the fire, and felt the oppressive silence settling around them. He sort of wanted to just go to bed, and not deal with any of it, but it had been his idea, he had convinced Sidon to let Ghirahim stay with them, so he knew he would have to.

“Why don’t the three of us move upstairs?” Sidon asked pleasantly, and Ghirahim tried to figure out what kind of game he was playing.  “To the bedroom. It’s a longer route if you try to run again, and you have to admit that you’ve given me quite a scare running off like that.”

“I could still outrun you, human, if I needed to,” Ghirahim reminded him.

“I know you could, but you’re frozen, and I want to get you under some warm blankets and full of some warm liquids,” Sidon explained, and Link remembered that they had been promised chocolate.

“I want to watch you make it,” Ghirahim demanded.

Sidon let out an exasperated sigh and said, “Fine, Ghirahim, you can come into the kitchen and watch me make hot chocolate.  It’ll be thrilling for everyone. But I want to remind you that you don’t-”

“Have knife privileges?” Ghirahim interrupted.

“I was actually going to say that you ‘don’t have to be afraid of every little thing I do’, but I suppose that is worth remembering.  You promised that you wouldn’t hurt us, but you also promised you wouldn’t break any more of my things, so now we’re forced the question how much your word means.  You understand that, don’t you? That we want to trust you, but you’re making it so difficult.” Sidon stood with one hand on his hip and the other holding his broken phone, watching Ghirahim watch him.

“I want to like you,” Link added, “Please be good.  You were doing so good before.”

“I’m not going to stab anyone!” Ghirahim snapped, “Granted, I understand why you think that just because I could, I would.  But I won’t. You… trust me not to stab you if I trust you not to drug me?”

“That sounds amiable,” Sidon agreed.

“Give me a cigarette,” Ghirahim demanded.

“You don’t need to go back outside,” Sidon sighed.

“What if I go out on the balcony where I can’t run?  And I smoke while you make the drinks. I won’t run, you won’t drug me, and everyone trusts everyone.” Ghirahim suggested.  Sidon slowly reached into his pocket, took out the pack, and handed Ghirahim a single cigarette.

  


* * *

  


“It’s cold out here,” Link said, because he felt like he needed to say something.  Ghirahim was standing on Sidon’s balcony, looking out over the garden, blowing out a long cloud of smoke.  He had actually started inside- Sidon had forgotten to give him any kind of flame again, so he had lit it in on the open fire of his bedroom fireplace- and the smell lingered there.  Link had followed him with a blanket from the sitting area thrown around his shoulders. But Ghirahim didn’t really seem to be bothered by the snow. Link thought that he looked a little like the winter, with his white hair and light skin, and wondered if he was stronger against it, somehow.

“Then go back inside, little toy,” Ghirahim said sadly.

Link thought for a long time about what he should say next, if he should say anything, and huddled the blanket tighter around his shoulders.  He hated Ghirahim’s situation, but part of him regretted bringing him into his house. His life had been much happier, and much simpler, before him.  He didn’t like the things he said about Sidon. He didn’t like that… some of them were true. 

“How long are you going to be bad?” Link finally asked.

Ghirahim chuckled.

“It’s such an abstract concept, and you treat it as if it’s an objective truth, little toy,” he said and exhaled another cloud into the softly falling snow.  “It isn’t. Just because your master says something, that doesn’t make it true. Do you remember what I said about ‘Intelligent Disobedience’?”

Link nodded.

“Sidon is hurting himself.  And he’s hurting you. And somewhere behind those pretty doll’s eyes, you know that.”  He took another long drag and continued, “I think that you toys… sometimes really believe that you are toys.  Dolls. Pretty little things to dress up and play with, to discard when they’re no longer needed.” He exhaled and looked at Link in that weird, unsettling way he had, “You aren’t.  You’re not a doll. You’re not a toy. Those humans are wrong about you.”

“Lots of humans have been wrong about me,” Link agreed.

“Do you know that humans can’t see in the dark?” Ghirahim asked, and Link shook his head.  He had never thought about it. “Do you know that they’re slower than we are?” Link nodded.  He did know that. That’s why you couldn’t run away. That’s how bunnies got kidnapped. “Did you know that no Hylian could have chewed through that door to get out of the room your master tried to lock me in?”

“You shouldn’t do that,” Link told him, “I’ve got chews if your teeth hurt.  When I was little I learned not to chew on things. Didn’t anyone teach you that?”

Ghirahim took his last drag, stared at Link, and flicked his butt over the railing and into the darkness.  He exhaled, and the cloud rose through the snow. He opened his mouth to say something, but Sidon’s voice from inside cut him off.

“Link, come inside!” He said sternly, “You’re going to freeze and you don’t need to be breathing in second hand smoke!  Ghirahim, are you finished?”

Ghirahim pulled the balcony doors together dramatically as they came back inside.

“Will you please go rinse your mouth out or brush your teeth?” Sidon asked politely, and Link was proud of him for how unnecessarily kind he was being.

Ghirahim arched an eyebrow at him and asked, “Why?  Do you plan on using it?”

“Because I don’t want you smoking in my house,” Sidon explained with annoyance creeping into his voice, “And I’ve read that mint discourages nicotine cravings.  Because I have been reading articles on the best way to care for you. You need to quit. No one should have ever given them to you in the first place. I probably shouldn’t have bought you the pack I did, but you need to ration them, because we’re going to use them to wean you off.”

“What are those?” Link asked.

“It’s literally a stick of poison,” Sidon said in disgust, “I have no idea why anyone would ever ingest such a thing.  There are no positive benefits.”

“You hypocrite!” Ghirahim snarled, and caught himself, took a deep breath, and said, “Fine.  Yes. I’ll be right back.” He walked into the bathroom and only slammed the door a little harder than strictly necessary.

“I really think he’s trying,” Link said as he folded the blanket and threw it back over the chair in the little sitting area.

“We have to be patient,” Sidon said with annoyance, “It took me six months with you.  The issue is that with him we don’t have that kind of time. No one can break an unruly bunny in a month.  It’s… It’s a ridiculous request.”

Link nodded.  He didn’t have a very good grasp on time, but he tried to break his early memories of Sidon into six-part chunks.  He was fairly certain that he had spent most of the first sixth curled up in his room alone, trying to acclimate to his new life, refusing to eat, refusing the love and kindness Sidon wanted to show him; shrinking under his touch, whimpering and being difficult when Sidon tried to hug or kiss him.  He was embarrassed by it now.

Ghirahim walked back into the room, and paused in the doorway, still skittish, looking as if he still didn’t trust Sidon.

“Come sit by the fire and warm up,” Sidon offered.  He took his favorite armchair and Link crawled into his lap.  Ghirahim studied them intensely as he sat on the sofa across from them.

Link smiled and leaned forward to take one of the cups from the tray, and let out an appreciative hum as he sipped it.  Ghirahim watched him drink and swallow before he picked up a cup, the one closest to Link and Sidon, and leaned back on the couch, staring at Sidon with that mistrust in his eyes.

“What are you going to do to me?” He asked when Sidon had opened his mouth to speak.

Sidon sighed, and replied, “I don’t know, Ghirahim, what do you think I should do to you?”

“I would prefer to return home, but I suppose that isn’t an option, is it?” Ghirahim leaned back against the sofa and took another drink.  “I suppose that was… never an option. Where am I going to live after the trial?”

“You’ll go with the rest of Demise’s estate, to his son,” Sidon explained patiently.

Ghirahim didn’t like that answer; he thought over it for a long time, staring into his cup.

“I…  don’t know that Master Ganondorf loves me, not like Demise.  No one will ever…” He trailed off.

“I thought no one would ever love me like Zelda,” Link said softly, and crawled out of Sidon’s lap to go sit on the sofa, “But…  I think different humans love different ways. I think Mr Ganondorf is sad too, just like you. Humans are different, I think? I think that they think they’ll have their families forever.  They don’t know about forever-homes.”

Ghirahim stared at him, trying to process what he had said.

“What do you mean?” he finally asked.

“Do you remember when you lived at the breeding center and you had a bunny family?” Link asked, and Ghirahim had to think a moment before he answered.

“Vaguely…  I was a custom order, so I left extremely early.  I only returned for lessons. I was very young.”

“Humans don’t leave for a long time.  They stay with their parents and get attached, I think?  Zelda lived with her parents for a lot longer than I lived with mine.  I bet they still think about them, when they grow up, because they stay for so long.” Link looked to Sidon for confirmation, and Sidon was staring at him with a look of sadness in his eyes.

Sidon asked, “You don’t…  neither of you remember your parents?”

“I would have only known them as an infant,” Ghirahim replied as if the question was ridiculous, “How would I remember them?”  And to Link, he added, “You believe that Master Ganondorf is upset, as I am, over Demise’s death, and that is why he’s cruel enough to leave me with strangers, yell at me, and allow the things Sidon has done to me?”

Link sighed, “Sidon’s not mean, Ghirahim.  But… I think that might be it? I think he might be able to love you, but right now he’s too sad to show love to anyone.  I bet if we showed him how good you could be, things would be different? He tried to pet me before he left.”

“I don’t want a new master,” Ghirahim said to Link, “But I suppose it doesn’t matter, does it?  It’s happening whether I want it to or not…” He laughed and added, “We’re all controlled by the threads of fate.  Freedom is an illusion. I should be thankful he’s willing to take me in. No one else is going to want me, after what she’s done to me, damaged as I am.”

“You’re still beautiful,” Link said sincerely, “You look like a movie star.”

“Your standards are impossibly high,” Sidon finally spoke, “That’s why you can’t see it.  But I agree with Link, you are beautiful. A few scars won’t take that away from you.”

“I like the scar,” Link reached out tentatively and ran his fingertips over it, “It looks like a diamond.”

“Some cultures perform scarification as a beauty ritual,” Sidon prompted, “Aren’t Lorulians one of them?  Didn’t you say Demise had a scar on his chest? Did you think he was less beautiful because of it?”

Ghirahim shook his head slowly.

“You can be happy again,” Sidon promised, leaning forward, “And I will explain to Mr Dragmire the importance of socialization, so that perhaps you and Link can keep in touch.”

Ghirahim didn’t seem to be listening; he had put one hand over Link’s on his chest.

“But we really can’t have you acting out like this,” Sidon explained, “We have to find a healthy outlet for that aggression.  You’re a cuddlebunny, so the most obvious way to burn it off-”

“You’ve proven that I can’t stop you, if that’s what you want,” Ghirahim glared at him.

“He’s trying to help,” Link pouted, “I think it works!  Sometimes when Sidon gets mad, he fucks me and he feels better!”

“You’re amazing darling,” Sidon couldn’t hold back a smile, “You’re right, I can’t stay angry around you.  You’re almost magical.”

“That’s an argument for you, little toy, not for Sidon.” Ghirahim snarled.

“I’ll play with you when you’re mad, if you want,” Link offered.

“No, darling,” Sidon shook his head, “He could hurt you, like he hurt Ravio.”

“I could hurt you like I hurt Hylia,” Ghiarhim smiled at Sidon, “The universe is vast and unpredictable.  I am an enigma. Anything could happen.”

Sidon sighed and ran a hand through the hair that had escaped his braid.

“That isn’t something to be proud of,” Sidon explained, “That is the very reason you come off, to everyone, not just to us, as someone who cannot be trusted.  You need some baseline of predictability, so people can predict, with some degree of accuracy, that you won’t hurt them.”

“I don’t like perfectly predictable people,” Ghirahim moved Link’s hand from his chest and kissed his palm, then in a low voice meant only for Link’s ears, continued, “I like surprises.  Like meek little toys who bite hard enough to draw blood and trick me on the battlefield.”

Link giggled when his tounge tickled his palm.

“I think he just means…” Link explained, trying to keep his words flowing, “You have to be good all the time, even when you’re mad.”

“Consistency,” Sidon explained, “You have to show some consistency.”

“Sidon,” Ghirahim spoke as if he had been so annoyed for so long that it has exhausted him, “Again, we come back to your complete inability to listen to or read the body language of people who are not you.  I have been perfectly consistent. Let me try something. Link, why did I get upset tonight?”

“Because when you talked to Ravio you felt like you had been kidnapped,” Link replied instantly.

“Why did I attack your master during my first night here?” Ghirahim asked.

“Because you got scared after we locked you up by yourself without your medicine and made you wear that collar that hurts.” Link titled his head in confusion.  Why was he asking all these questions?

“Why did I bite Ravio with intent to mame?” Ghirahim asked him.

“Because he tried to hug you and you didn’t want a hug.  You shouldn’t have bit him though. I just pushed him off me and he stopped.  He’ll stop when he realizes what he did wrong. He’s not mean.”

“That’s fair, I suppose,” Ghirahim shrugged, “But not my point.  My point is that all of that behavior was perfectly predictable for anyone of any sense.  I’m not being ‘bad’, I’m acting according to my nature.”

Sidon rubbed his forehead with one hand.

“Fine, ok, whatever, you’re violent by nature,” he said at length, and Link felt the anger and frustration Sidon was trying to contain, “Do you honestly not understand how unbelievably frustrating that is?  I only have a little over three weeks to train you to behave. Can you, please, for five god-” he took a deep breath, willed himself to calm down, and continued, “I don’t think either of us are presenting our best selves here.  You said before that you don’t work well with having your plans complicated- perhaps I don’t work well on a deadline. We both have to try harder- to work together. We’ve had this conversation before. And I have been trying. We’ve treated you well- better than you deserve- since that first discussion where you held my beloved bunny hostage.  You have to stop. Do you understand that? That you have to stop this behavior or you could… the consequences will be…”

“Do you honestly think I don’t know the consequences?” Ghirahim laughed, “After everything I’ve been through?  I’m not going to be put down if unless I allow it to happen. You have some idea of how difficult I am to kill.  Do not threaten me.”

“I’m not threatening you, you ungrateful animal!” Sidon stood, and Link jerked away from Ghirahim to cower at the edge of the sofa, “I am trying to help you!  I want you to survive this! I want this woman to be imprisoned forever! I would want that even if I had never met you, after what she did to my little Link! I agree with you, you incomprehensible idiot!  We are on the same side! You should have seen him, the day we met! Cowering in his own depression, so far gone that he had lost all sight of his own worth! You don’t… you don’t just use someone up and throw them away like that!”

“Oh, look, we’re back to pretending that you love Link,” Ghirahim, with no fear, leaned forward to set his empty cup on the table, then sat back and crossed his arms to stare up at Sidon.

“I do love Link!  And I will not have you questioning it again!  I am FINISHED being DISRESPECTED IN MY OWN HOME!” Sidon demanded, and Link pulled his ears taunt on either side of his head to block the sound.  This was Ghirahim’s fault! Sidon never screamed like that, never scared him like that, never looked like he wanted to hurt anyone, before Ghirahim came.

“Perhaps you do,” Ghirahim said calmly, “Perhaps you do love Link.  You love Link like a dragon loves gold, like a miser loves rupees. Not like a pet, not like a real lover.  I’ve learned more about him in less than a week than you had learned in years. You didn’t know he could fight, or that he doesn’t like being choke-fucked, or the reason he doesn’t like to speak.  Your love is broken, Sidon.”

Sidon slapped him so hard Link felt the sofa rock, but somehow, Ghirahim didn’t fall to the ground.  Link would have, knew he would have, but there was something about Ghirahim that made him stronger in the face of danger, the same thing that weakened Link.

“And we’re back to violence,” Ghirahim rolled his eyes, and stood to shove Sidon in the chest, “Get out of my face!  You’re far too close, and you’re angry! You’re going to do something that you’ll regret! How long is it going to take you to learn that I hold no fear of you?  That these intimidation tactics mean nothing to me?” He spread his arms to indicate the scar on his chest, “Honestly, look at me? Why would I fear you? What the hell can you do that hasn’t already been done to me?”  Sidon moved again and Ghirahim growled, “Hit me again, human, and I will hit you back.”

Link watched them stare at each other in silence, with the fire crackling and the tension heavy in the air, until he could no longer bear it.

He shocked himself.

He didn’t remember standing up, had no idea how he got between them, but there he was, crying and shoving them apart, shouting with more conviction than he had ever had before, words more sure than any that had ever left his mouth.

“Stop it!  Stop fighting!  I can’t stand it!”

“Darling, don’t cry,” Sidon tried to grab his arm and pull him into a hug, but Link jerked out of his grasp with strength he didn’t know he had; the same strength that had held up Ravio and a layer of snow, the same strength that had fought off the handlers at the shelter, even when he was undernourished, the strength that had held Ghirahim back from reaching the remote, or pushed against him with a sword.  The strength that, despite all that, all the things he could have seen if he had been looking for it, shocked Sidon.

“No!” Link yelled, and Ghirahim smiled at him.

“What are you smiling about?” Sidon snapped at Ghirahim, and tried to pull Link into another hug, but Link shoved him off again.

“I don’t want to be touched right now!” Link said, speaking so quickly he couldn’t get space between his words, “I…  I feel weird. It’s too heavy.”

“You could cut the tension with a knife,” Ghirahim agreed, speaking as if the prospect thrilled him.  He added, to Link, “Get out of the thick of it, if it bothers you.”

“No!” Link barked at him, “I’m not moving!  I won’t let you hurt Sidon!”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Ghirahim snapped, “HE hit ME, you ignorant toy!  What is wrong with you?”

“He never screamed before you got here!” Link accused.

“I cannot fathom a thought process that would make any of this MY fault!” Ghirahim snarled, and his hands fisted at his sides, “You’re blinded by something and I’ve no idea what!  I know the sex isn’t that good! What can he possibly give you that turned you into this little lapdog?”

“I’m not a lapdog!” Link snapped.

“You’re…  something,” Ghirahim put his hands on his hips and looked down at him.

“It’s just too much!  Too much fighting all the time!  Stop it! Just do what you’re told!  It’s not that hard! It’s stupid! Your reactions are stupid!  If he wants to fuck you, let him do it! It doesn’t matter if you don’t like it; it’ll be over and then you can do something nice together!  You can’t be bad all the time! Let Ravio hug you! You were WRONG! You were wrong about Ravio and Sidon, and you can’t admit it! You’re a bad bunny!”

Ghirahim glared down at him, and had opened his mouth to say something, but it was Sidon who spoke, sounding as if he had been mortally wounded.

“What?” he asked, and grabbed Link by the shoulder to spin him, to force him to look at him, “Darling what do you mean, ‘It doesn’t matter if you don’t like it, let him do it and then you can do something nice together’?”

Ghirahim covered his mouth with a hand to hide his grin, and stepped backwards until his knees hit the sofa so he could lounge and watch what he hoped was finally going to be a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check back here for more Emerald Knight. I didn't actually upload a chapter this week because I've spent literally the entirety of the past week waiting for one 30-minute letsplay to upload. All the rest of my videos are sure as hell going to be 720 just to try to get the file size down. If I can actually make money with this I'll try to get a camera, microphone and light so I can do video essays and shit. I've heard that if you review makeup you can actually get companies to send you free make-up. That'd be fucking great because that shit is expensive and I have acne scars and shit so I wear a LOT of it- like at least 3 layers of coverage any time I put makeup on. That's actually kind of relivent to my fanfics because there is INEVITABLY a scene in anything I write where someone puts on make-up. Remember that from my Hyrule Warriors AU? It comes up again.
> 
> I might have a problem.
> 
> Also, I really do want to thank everyone for their comments! You guys have no idea how much it means to me, how much it inspires me to keep writing. And I'm really glad I kept writing, because I honestly did improve. I mentioned that I went back and reread the beginning of my HW fanfic and... it's kind of amazing? How much better I've gotten? The beginning of that fic- particularly the first 5 chapters- are what I would consider unreadable. And this fic might not be great, but I can totally see the improvement. I wouldn't have done that if my readers hadn't stuck with me. I would have gotten discouraged and stopped practicing- I know myself, and that's exactly what I would have done without support. You guys are amazing. Thank you so much.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter we left off in the middle of a fight, so...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My internet is being a bitch so I'm sorry that this is late, and I hope I can upload it at all. Thank god that for some reason, AO3 saves what you entered when you hit the back button after the timed-out upload page. I'm a little aggravated. Aggravated enough to add this text.
> 
> I hope that you guys like this chapter! I'm still trying to write out a real ending! I don't have a lot to say this time.
> 
> Thanks so much to MissGillette for letting me use her AU! I think she's lost interest at this point, so this is all me- it might be real wild. 
> 
> I have a Ko-fi if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

“Link?” Sidon prompted, but the fire that fueled Link’s passion had gone out.  He couldn’t yell at Sidon the way he had yelled at Ghirahim. His voice was stuck in his throat again, his chest was tight, and his mouth was impossibly dry.

Ghirahim picked up the cup Sidon hadn’t touched, and sipped it ,watching them over the rim.

“You don’t like having sex with me?” Sidon prompted, “You just…  wait for it to be over? You’ve never said anything like this before.  Where is this coming from?”

“That’s not,” Link tried, and words failed him, “I…  of course I like it.”

“I thought you loved me,” Sidon looked crushed, and the sight of him was more than Link could bear.  He threw both arms around him and snuggled his face into his chest.

“I do love you!” Link pleaded, “Please, Sidon!  I love you so much! I’m your bunny! Forever!”

“It’s alright, darling,” Sidon gently petted between his ears, but did not return the hug, “People sometimes say things, in anger, that they do not mean.”

“I’m sorry, Sidon,” Link cried into his chest.

“Then again,” Sidon reasoned, “A good bunny isn’t supposed to lie, even in anger.”

“I didn’t mean it!” Link pleaded, and grabbed tight to Sidon, but his strength didn’t match Ghirahim’s, who had stood and grabbed him by the back of the neck to yank him away.

He threw Link behind him with such force that he stumbled, hit the sofa, and sat for a second before he bounced back, intent to pull Ghirahim away before he could hurt Sidon, but Ghirahim was so aggressive that he stopped himself.  He was standing to his full height, with a finger on Sidon’s chest, growling right in his face.

“Don’t you dare do that, you miserable human!” Ghirahim hissed, “Don’t twist his words!  I am two seconds away from striking you down!”

“Never touch him like that again,” Sidon said coldly, calmly, “Don’t throw him around.”

“Stop pretending you can tell me what to do!” Ghirahim snapped, “You are nothing to me!”

Link knew he had to get this situation under control, but had no idea how he was supposed to do that.  Reason hadn’t worked, fighting hadn’t worked, and Ghirahim was dangerous. He had to do something. This was out of hand.  It was the same, blind panic he had felt when Ghirahim had somehow gotten that collar on Sidon; a panic that seized his brain and made it impossible to think.  And it was his fault. Everything would have been fine if he had never begged for Ghirahim!

“This is my fault!” He said out loud, “Everything would have been fine if I had never brought you here!”

“Little toy, with all due respect, shut your whore mouth.” Ghirahim snapped, “I don’t think either of us need your self deprecating bullshit right now.  The adults are talking.”

“Don’t speak to him that way!” Sidon demanded, “That is it!  I’ve had enough! I’m calling Mr Dragmire and telling him I want this thing out of my house!  You can go into evidence for all I care!”

“But they said they’d put him down!” Link begged.

“Those are empty threats,” Ghirahim crossed his arms and glared at Sidon, “He isn’t going to do anything.  He’s afraid of Master Ganondorf.”

“I…  really don’t think he is,” Link said as Sidon picked up the phone.

Both bunnies watched as he dialed and put the phone to his ear.

“Put it on speaker,” Ghirahim demanded, “I want to hear this!”

“Stop making demands!” Link begged, “Just please, please, be good!  Ghirahim, just stop! Stop it!”

“Let go of me,” Ghirahim jerked the arm that Link didn’t remember grabbing, “I don’t need your help!”

“I know, the girl called me,” Ganondorf’s voice filled the room, because apparently Sidon did have him on speaker, “What did he do?”

“So you’re aware of the situation?” Sidon asked, and Link was amazed at how calm and conversational his voice was, “Mr Dragmire, I’m going to be honest.  I don’t have the resources to deal with this. He’s destroyed half my house, my security camera, my phone, my computer, and he hit my bunny. I’m at my wits end.  I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to-”

“Why?” Ganondorf cut him off.

“Master, please!” Ghirahim begged, “Please come and get me!  I begged you not to leave me here!”

“For fuck’s sakes, must you people put everything on speaker?” Ganondorf snarled, “Sidon, if I have to come down there, everyone will regret it.  Is this your resignation? You quit?”

“I can’t have him destroying-”

“I’ll pay for it,” Ganondorf said, as if it was a trifling annoyance, “I’m getting tired of being bothered with this.  Have you worked with him at all? Can he testify?”

“Master, please,” Ghirahim begged, but Ganondorf cut him off again.

“Open your mouth again, Ghirahim, and I will come down there and strangle you to death with my bare hands, do you understand?  If I want to hear from you, I’ll ask for you. Shut the hell up.” Ghirahim fell silent and fumed. 

Sidon seemed shocked by the behavior as well, and said, “Was that necessary?”

“Do I need to come and get him or not?” Ganondorf asked, “I tire of receiving these calls at unreasonable hours.  That thing is only alive because of my soft heart. He’s an unruly, dangerous animal, and if he thinks I’m going to let him run rampant in my house after this trial he’s lost his goddamn mind.  It’s a simple question, Sidon. Answer it!”

“No,” Sidon said after a long pause, “No, I can handle him.”

“Good.” Ganondorf said with venom in his voice, “Now have you actually worked with him about the trial?  Of have you been using him as a blow-up doll? Because I hired you to do a job, Hylian.”

The way he said ‘Hylian’ confused Link.  He said it the way Hylians said ‘bunny’, as if it was an insult, as if Hylians were below him.  He watched Sidon tap the phone and put it to his ear, and he could no longer hear Mr Ganondorf. But Ghirahim had sat back on the couch and was holding his face in both hands, and Link suspected he was sobbing into them.

“I’ve been making a lot of progress,” Sidon said defensively into the phone, “not only was he able to recount the events of the murder, he was able to watch a news report that featured Hylia without attacking anyone.”

“Don’t cry,” Link said softly.

“Fuck off, little toy,” Ghirahim said back, but Link laid a hand on his back and he didn’t try to stop him.

“I know, but he has to be desensitized,” Sidon explained and rubbed his temples with his free hand.

“He fucking hates me,” Ghirahim said to his hands, and Link rubbed his back.

“You have to be good,” Link explained, “He’s mad because Sidon keeps having to call about you.”

“It went very well,” Sidon said, and after a pause, “No, I suppose I shouldn’t be.  I’m not exactly shocked, I’m merely frustrated. And, I will admit, I do not have the faith in my own abilities that you seem to have in me.”

Ghirahim shook his head, and Link leaned in to kiss his cheek.  He let him.

“Is that a threat, Mr Dragmire?” Sidon asked with ice in his voice.  After a beat he said, “I don’t know your son,” and seemed to instantly regret it.  Link listened intently, fully aware that he shouldn’t be evesdropping, but the things Sidon were saying and hearing seemed extremely important, and he didn’t want to miss anything.  He may have, subconsciously, felt that the bar for behavior had been somewhat lowered in the house lately.

“I’m sorry I threw you,” Ghirahim said softly, and Link thought it was the first time he had heard him apologise for anything, “I couldn’t stand the way he treated you.  I’m so… full of hate, Link, I can’t contain it. It hurts so much all the time. I want to transfer that pain to something else, to someone else.”

“It didn’t hurt,” Link said.

“Liar,” Ghirahim pulled his face out of his hands and looked at him.  He softly brushed Link’s hair out of the way to look at his neck where the bruises were forming.  After a few seconds he continued, “There is so much pain in this house. I didn’t cause it. You were wrong about that.  I only bring it to the surface.”

“Ok,” Link said, because he didn’t know what that meant.

“I appreciate that,” Sidon was saying when Link tuned back in on the conversation.  “I assure you, I am trying. The time frame is impossible.” He laughed, as if he hadn’t just been fighting, as if he had never been threatened, as if he was talking a friend, and mumbled, “Solstice miracle” as if it had been a punchline to a joke.  “Well then pray for that, Mr Dragmire.” He paused a moment, and corrected, “Ganondorf.” A pause and, “Yes, of course. I really do think it would do him a world of good. Mr Dra- Ganondorf, you have to understand that they are sensitive, skittish creatures.  He needs to know that you love him.”

Ghirahim stood and went to the bathroom to fix his face and pretend that he hadn’t been crying, and Link felt it was best not to follow him, to stay and listen in on Sidon’s conversation.

“It doesn’t matter,” Sidon said, “He needs to believe it.  It isn’t difficult to-” he looked at Link, narrowed his eyes at him, and Link shrank under his gaze.  He knew he shouldn’t have been eavesdropping.

“The point is, he needs to believe it,” Sidon finished up tersely.  “It would make my job so much easier.” Another pause and, “Thank you, so much, Ganondorf.  I apologise for bothering you, this is just… an astonishingly difficult task. I’ve never seen a bunny so…  broken.” Another pause, and, “Yes, absolutely.” Another and, “I’m… not sure. I believe he can. I believe it would be easier if you told him you loved him and wanted him to get better so you could have a life together.  He has nothing to live for. His devotion to your father is admirable. Bunnies need people to take care of them. Can you understand how frightening it must be to have that security taken away from you?”

Mr Ganondorf said something that took a long time to say, and Sidon answered with a relieved, “thank you.  Ghirahim! Your master wants to talk to you!”

Ghirahim came out of the bathroom, snatched the phone from him, and darted back inside.  Link got up to follow him, and when he stuck his head inside, Ghirahim motioned that it was alright for him to enter.

“Yes, master?” Ghirahim asked sadly.

“Look, Ghirahim, here’s the deal,” Ganondorf said in the same gruff voice he had used when he had told him to shut up, “You are destroying my nerves, do you understand that?  I get that you loved him, ok? I get it. But it’s my father. For the love of all three goddesses, stop with the bullshit. I know you don’t like it there. But it’s a month, ok?  Do this for three more weeks, for both of us. Get your shit together. I need you to do this. There are going to be people in that court room a lot more pissy than Sidon. Sidon’s a fucking pushover and we both know it.  I could put a bullet through his brain and no one would give a shit. But that defense attorney is gonna bend you over that stand and have his way with you.”

“Really?” Ghirahim asked, skeptically.

“Metaphorically, dumbass,” Ganondorf explained, and Link thought he was finally beginning to understand why Ghirahim liked it when Ganondorf insulted him.  It was because it was the exact same way he insulted humans. He sounded exactly like he had when he had jerked Yuga away and told him to move. Ganondorf talked to Ghirahim as if he was a person, not as if he was an animal.  He didn’t call him a ‘dumb bunny’, he called him a ‘dumbass’. He didn’t make excuses for him because ‘a bunny wouldn’t know better’. He… Link wasn’t sure how to classify the way he treated him, because Link had never been respected.

“Yes, sorry master,” Ghirahim amended quickly, “I know I have to…  be able to deal with them. It’s just so hard. I’m just… I have so much hate.  It makes me physically sick. I’m furious all the time! Outraged! I can’t contain it!”

“I don’t have time for ‘can’t’ and neither do you.  You’d be amazed what you can do when you have a gun to your head.” Ganondorf said more kindly than Link expected, and Ghirahim smiled.

“Demise used to say that,” Ghirhaim remembered happily.

“Yeah, he used to say a lot of shit.  He was a great guy. I know you loved him.” Ganondorf agreed.

“I still do,” Ghirahim confessed, “I can’t stop.”

“Mom couldn’t stand his ass,” Ganondorf laughed, “They hated each other.  It was great. When I was a kid I’d go to dad and say, ‘Mom said I couldn’t have, you know, whatever’, and he’d get it for me.  No questions asked.”

“He was always so happy to hear from you,” Ghirahim said, still smiling and playing with his hair, “He loved you.”

“I loved him too, but don’t tell anyone I said that.  Our secret, ok?” There was mirth in Ganondorf’s voice, and he went on, “It’s going to be weird having you around, you know?  After this is over. I don’t know how to take care of a bunny. You figure out if you really want to stay with me. If you don’t I’ll…  I don’t know, we’ll figure something out. But you don’t have to.”

“You called me a bunny,” Ghirahim said and covered his smile with his hand.

“Is that not right?  It sounds dumb as hell.  What the hell is the PC thing to call you fuckers?” Ganondorf asked.

“You got it right, master.” Ghirahim said.

“Look, just put up with this Sidon guy a little longer,” Ganondorf instructed, “And after the trial if you do me proud you’ll never have to lay eyes on him again.  He’s pissing me off anyway. You know how I feel about failure. I drug you out of that house kicking and screaming and bleeding everywhere and he acts like he can’t handle a broken camera.  Quit breaking his shit. His delicate Hylian constitution can’t handle it.”

“I’m trying, master, but he sometimes fills me with an overwhelming rage,” Ghirahim explained.

“Take it out on something else,” Ganondorf ordered, “I don’t care what.  But quit hurting this guy’s pathetic Hylian feelings. Play with that other bunny or someshit.  Hylians are delicate, Ghirahim, you gotta be real gentle with them. Baby them.”

“He won’t let me play with Link.  He says he thinks I’ll hurt him,” Ghirahim explained.

“Yeah, well, you did rip that other one apart pretty good.  Jackass. I had to pay for that. That girl is so sweet, too.  You should feel like an asshole. I want you to apologise to her.”

“I didn’t want him to-”

“I know, I know, didn’t want him to touch you.  You didn’t need to rip his fucking throat out. That’s the only reason I let that Hylian shock you like that.  You know goddamn well you deserved it. You were an asshole. Don’t pretend like you weren’t. The thing was half your size and you damn near killed him.  There’s no honor in a fight like that. He didn’t fight back at all. He’s a lapdog.”

“You’re right,” Ghirahim admitted, “I wrote an apology letter.”

“Good.  Now you listen here- play their game.  Whatever bullshit that Hylian Sidon throws at you, you deal with it.  Because that’s what you’re there to learn. You have to be able to put up a wall between you and the jackassery you have to deal with.  Because if the defense gets you on the stand and pushes and pushes- like they will- you can’t snap at them. They’re going to try to find all your buttons.  They’re going to shit-talk you, shit-talk dad; they’re going to call you a stupid animal; they’re going to call dad a pervert; they’re going to throw around the term ‘beastiality’.  They’re going to try to make you look as bad as they can, and you have to stay calm and rational. You can’t snap on them. You can’t lose your shit. You’ve got to learn how to do that, you understand?”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim said, like a man on a mission.

“So what are you going to do with Sidon’s bullshit?” Ganondorf asked.

“Take whatever he throws at me and remain calm and rational,” Ghirahim answered.  “Do I have to obey him, though?”

“Just for another few weeks, and then it’ll be over forever.  Let him think he’s in charge. Hylians love that bullshit. You can get them to do anything if they think it’s their own idea.” Ganondorf explained, “They’re the perfect fall-guy.  They love the spotlight and don’t watch their backs.”

“Yes, master.” Ghirahim answered.

“Good.  I don’t want to hear any more bullshit out of you.  Play along.”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim smiled, “Thank you.”

“One more thing,” Ganondorf said as if it was an afterthought, “I’m going to be throwing dad’s solstice party since, you know, he can’t.  I want you on my arm, but not if you’re going to lose your shit. Can you do that?”

“Really?” Ghirahim asked, and his eyes widened, “Master, you know what sort of party that is for me, right?  For the cuddlebunnies?”

“That’s why I’m asking if you’re ready,” Ganondorf answered.

“I don’t have anything to wear,” Ghirahim frowned.

“Don’t pout,” Ganondorf said, “It’s below you.  I’ll make Sidon get you something. You need to get out of that house anyway.  But don’t do anything, remember? Play his game. He puts you on a leash, you wear a leash.  He talks down to you, you take it. Play him. Take your little friend, whatshisname, if he wants to go.  I’ll give you a plus one.”

“I might,” Ghirahim mused, and added, “Thank you, master.  I need a social event.”

“Be good.”

“I will.”

“I’m hanging up,” Ganondorf said, and the line went dead.

Ghirahim took a deep breath and moved one hand over his face in a gesture Link didn’t understand, but it seemed to change his expression, and his smile disappeared.  He looked somber, regretful. He took Link by the shoulders and hugged him.

“Little Toy,” he said, “You are my only friend in this terrible place.”

“We’re friends,” Link agreed, and hugged him back.

“That’s what you were saying all along, wasn’t it?  To just play along? I didn’t listen to you.” Ghirahim said sadly, and Link nodded.

“It’s ok,” Link said, “Everyone makes mistakes.  Just be good from now on? Please?”

Ghirahim nodded and released him to open the door.

Sidon was sitting in his favorite chair, staring hard at the pack of cigarettes he had gotten Ghirahim.  He pulled one out and tossed it to him.

“That family could drive anyone to smoke,” Sidon said after a beat.  “I would appreciate it if you went outside, but it is still snowing. We need to get you a coat.”

“...thank you, Sidon.” Ghirahim said, and Sidon turned to look at him.

“You’re welcome,” he said slowly.  “I’m so, so sorry about Demise. I hate to see you…  I hate to see you.”

Ghirahim lit the cigarette on the fire and bolted to the balcony with more energy than Link felt, and Sidon watched his little bunny shiver when the cold came in through the open door.  Ghirahim slid it closed, and Sidon turned his sad gaze to Link.

“Come here,” he said, and Link couldn’t read his emotions.

Link climbed into his lap and buried his face in his chest.

“I’m sorry I said that,” Link begged, “I love everything you do to me, Sidon, I promise.  I get… scared? Of sex sometimes. Because I’m not good at it. But I want to be. I want to make you happy.  I love you.”

“I know, darling, I’m not angry with you,” Sidon promised and kissed his head.  “I’m sad, for Ghirahim. Ganondorf doesn’t love him. I don’t… as strange as it will sound to hear me say this, the truth is that I don’t want him to leave.  I don’t love him either, but I know how to treat a bunny. Ganondorf expects too much of him, will neglect him…” He sighed, “I think I could fix him, if I had enough time.”

“I think he’s good,” Link agreed, “Deep down.  He really loved his master.”

“Do you?” Sidon asked, cuddling Link and snuggling the top of his head with his cheek.

“But he has so much bad in him,” Link sighed, “He hates everything.  He’s so scared all the time.”

“Everything’s going to be alright, darling,” Sidon promised him, and pushed him back a little to look at him.  He tugged Link’s collar down to run a thumb over the bruise there, and Link thought he could see the gears turning in his head.

“He said he was sorry,” Link said, knowing it wouldn’t help.

“What are we going to do with him?” Sidon asked.

They both turned at the sound of the door sliding open, then shut, and Ghirahim had melting snow on his shoulders, in his hair and even his eyelashes.

“The moon is beautiful,” Ghirahim said, still looking outside.  “I’ll go rinse out my mouth… if I had any kind of fragrance I would wear it.  I know you don’t like the smell.”

“Don’t close the door,” Sidon called as Ghirahim went into the bathroom.

“Kiss him!” Link said it as soon as he thought it, eagerly and quietly into Sidon’s ear, and Sidon pulled him away with a puzzled look on his face.

“...why?” He asked.  There was no judgement, only confusion.

“Because I always feel better when you kiss me,” Link explained, blushing, “I…  I don’t know... you’re really good at it… people kisses.”

“People kisses?” Sidon asked, more confused than ever.

Link nodded, at a loss for words.

“I kiss you like that, darling, because I love you,” Sidon explained, “I couldn’t kiss anyone else like I kiss you.”

“Oh,” Link said, and played with Sidon’s shirt.  That made sense. After a minute of thought he said, “But isn’t that what you’re supposed to do, after a fight?  Kiss and make up?”

“I…  did say that,” Sidon admitted as if he had been trapped, “But that’s different, darling.  Ravio is different.”

“Oh,” Link said again, and asked, “Should I stop kissing Ghirahim?”

“If I could trust him, I would let you do whatever you want with him,” Sidon said in a voice that made Link shudder, then arched an eyebrow at him, grinned, and leaned forward to kiss Link on the forehead.  “Wait… I think I understand. Do you want to watch, darling?”

Link thought about that and squirmed.  “I like… watching you with Ravio, because he has fun…  he’s so carefree.”

“I do like a happy bunny,” Sidon agreed, and pecked a sweet kiss on Link’s lips.  As an afterthought he added, “If I do this for you he had better not bite me.”

“I can hear you,” Ghirahim reminded them, leaning against the door, “And I appreciate the sentiment, little toy, but it won’t make me feel any better.  Your master is driving the bus you just threw me under.”

Link hopped to his feet and tugged Sidon’s arm to get him to stand, and Sidon let him pull him along.  Link reached out his other hand and tugged Ghirahim by the wrist. He tugged until Sidon and Ghirahim were standing as close as they had been during the fight, and proclaimed:

“Kiss and make up!”

Ghirahim rolled his eyes, and Sidon said, “I’ve spoiled him.  He’s used to getting his way.”

“I don’t know that that’s the case,” Ghirahim glared at Link.

“Ghirahim,” Sidon sighed, “You grate on everyone’s nerves, do you understand that?  I want to help. Let me help you.”

“I’m trying,” Ghirahim said, and met Sidon’s eyes.  “I won’t stop you, and I won’t bite.”

_ Play his game.  For Demise. For Ganondorf. _

Sidon knew what Link meant.  He didn’t have to love him to kiss him like he loved him, but he wasn’t sure Link would get the reaction he was looking for.  It worked better than he had expected, at least. He had thought Ghirahim might not bite him, but would do no more than put up with the affection, maybe even push him away.  He didn’t expect him to grab his shirt and lean into it with his whole body, didn’t expect him to be so skilled and eager with his tongue and lips. Sidon was the one to pull away and stare down at him.  He gently brushed away the hair that covered half of Ghirahim’s face so that he could see him glaring up at him with those big red eyes.

“See?” Link asked, “Does that feel better?”

“Not really,” Ghirahim shoved Sidon away, “do you like kissing him, little toy?”

Link nodded, and Ghirahim snickered.  He leaned towards Link, and tugged him forward.

“I prefer you,” Ghirahim explained, and Link leaned up to kiss him.  His bones had turned to jelly by the time Ghirahim pulled away. He ran his thumb over Link’s lower lip, and to Sidon said, “Everyone is suggesting that I let you…  you’ve limited my vocabulary so I’m going to say ‘hate fuck’ me to relieve stress. But I don’t think that will work.”

Sidon sighed and stepped away from them.  

“You make everything an ordeal.  I’m going to get a glass of wine.  You two play nicely while I’m gone.  No more fighting.”

“Perish the thought,” Ghirahim said sarcastically, and Link flicked his nose.  

“It’s out of my system!” Ghirahim promised, and Link smiled at him.

“It better be,” Sidon said, more to himself than to them.

Link grabbed one of Ghirahim’s wrists and drug him toward the bed, then turned and laced his hands behind his neck.

“What are you doing?” Ghirahim asked.

“Sidon said it was ok to kiss you,” Link smiled, and leaned up to press their lips together, “And I think it makes you feel better.”

“Maybe I’m starved for affection,” Ghirahim considered, “I am a cuddlebunny…  we do… it’s an urge. Do you have it too?”

Link nodded.

“This need for…  sex? And people kisses?”

“It can be overpowering,” Ghirahim pushed Link backwards onto the bed, and Link kept his hands around his neck, forcing him down with him, “And inconvenient.”

“I almost suffocated myself on it,” Link agreed, “It was…  weird.”

“Were you trying to get dick underwater?” Ghirahim snickered.

“No…  it wasn’t even…” Link scooted up to better situate himself, and Ghirahim crawled with him, nibbling at his neck, “It was stupid.  Over clothes…”

“What kind of clothes?” Ghirahim asked, and tugged Link’s collar to lick a strip from his shoulder to his jawline.

“A corset,” Link admitted, and felt the heat in his face, “I tried to…  get Sidon to fuck me in the store and he wouldn’t.”

“How cruel,” Ghirahim slide his hands under Link’s shirt.

“It’s not his fault,” Link argued, “You’re not supposed to; he’s right.”

“I would love to see in the corset you risked breaking the rules for,” Ghirahim hummed, “You’re so straight-laced, it must be breathtaking.”

“You wouldn’t like it,” Link shook his head, “Sidon said it was temporary, just until he could get me a real one.”

“Ugh,” Ghirahim said, sitting up on his knees, “That despicable off-the-racker wouldn’t know ‘real’ clothes if they bit him on the ass.  You’ll come with me, to my taylor when Master Ganondorf takes me to get a new outfit, and I’ll get you the first nice thing you’ve ever owned.  Stick close to me at the party, little toy, it gets crowded and after a few drinks the other bunnies get friendly.”

“We’re going to play with other bunnies?” Link asked, wrapping his arms around Ghirahim to pull him back down, “Like in the movies?”

“Oh yes, little toy,” Ghirahim smiled and played with Link’s bangs, “Like in the movies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have written more on this this week, and I'll warn you that the pacing picks up in the next little bit and I start glossing over stuff because I'm trying to get this thing to end. I'm not super happy with the writing I've done this week, so if it starts to get really bad, I'm sorry. Also, I've not talked to MissG in a while, and it's one of those real awkward things where I probably could just talk to her, but now so much time has passed where I haven't that I would feel weird about it?
> 
> Emerald Knight Chapter 4 is up, and they're on a schedule now! So they should automatically update every Monday at midnight. If I have youtubed correctly- which... I mean, lord only knows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClOwBYlgtDw&feature=youtu.be
> 
> Also also, I got my capture chord! So now I should be able to do letsplays! If anyone is interested in that, I'm going to be playing my favorite game of all time with all my nerdy, nerdy commentary: The Legend of Zelda, a Link to the Past. Probably other stuff too, but I thought folks might like that because I realized I had a weirdly vast no-life amount of Zelda knowledge so with that one I actually have something to talk about. Fun times.
> 
> I have to upload them though. On my shitty internet. So it'll be a little while.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoever predicted Ghiralink I hope you like this chapter, but be prepared for really unhealthy coping mechanisms and diving head-first into alcoholic detachment!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: This is late because I was in the er all night. They don't get in any hurry. I had to get some tests run because I was in a car wreck, and now I'm on some medication that makes me a little loopy. This chapter was written a while back, but I didn't edit it because I don't really know where I'm at right now. My replies might be a little out in left field. I vaguely remember what I was trying to do with this chapter- it was about unhealthy coping- but I honestly don't know if I hit it or not because when I tried to read over it I couldn't ingest information in any meaningful way. Am I rambling? I feel like I'm rambling. I'm gonna end this here.
> 
> Thanks MissG, for letting me use your story! I should try to talk to you again, I've not talked to you in a while and I still love your work! Everyone should go check it out! I think it's linked somewhere on this story because I set it up that way way back at the beginning.
> 
> Also, if you wanna throw money at me, you can do it here: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

 

To say that Sidon was concerned or worried would be a massive understatement.  He nearly lost his footing on his way down the stairs to the wine cellar, trying to watch the feed on the security camera on his broken phone.  It would need to be replaced. He was still trying to process Ganondorf’s attitude- threatening a bunny with violence wasn’t something he thought he could ever bring himself to do, but with a violent death?  It was inexcusable.

He was growing attached.  He had not expected that to happen.  The little cuddlebunny was a hurricane, a fireball of destruction- but he was so completely broken inside, so completely attached to Demise and unable to deal with the blows that fate had sent him- that Sidon could not stay angry with him.  Ganondorf couldn’t understand that, would never understand the way Ghirahim thought. He held the poor bunny to human standards, expected him to swallow those emotions and present a self that was well put together- bunnies didn’t have the emotional complexity to do that- hell, humans probably shouldn’t even try to do that.

A month was a ridiculously short time frame, but Sidon thought that if he had more time…  if he had more time and infinite patience, he could help Ghirahim work through those emotions, mold him back into a pet to be proud of.  Maybe in a year he could be rehomed, but a month? It was out of the question. And he could not, with a clear conscious, let a poor, broken bunny like that go to a man like Ganondorf- a man with no emotional center, no observable empathy- a man who tossed his own child around like a ragdoll and treated people as nothing more than their positions.  No, he had read Ganondorf from his interactions with him, and the man only cared about himself, and only cared about other people in their capacity to do things for him. Someone like that would neglect a bunny, and Ghirahim would be driven to madness from that sort of neglect. He wouldn’t live a year under those conditions.

The best place in the world for the poor thing was right where he was, in Sidon’s bed.

But there was no practical way to keep him there.

The Dragmires were dangerous.  Yuga did not wear that danger on his sleeve, and Sidon thought that perhaps his father had worked to shield him from it.  But Ganondorf…

Ghirahim had called Sidon “a predator” but that label applied more accurately to Ganondorf.  He was exactly that- he carried himself like a predator, like someone who feared no one and no thing, because he knew, instinctively and confidently, that he was the most dangerous thing in the room.  He had the sort of unerring confidence that inspired fear, rather than respect.

Sidon suspected that Demise had been the same way.  And where did it get him?

The grave.

Hilda couldn’t have known the sort of people she had involved them with.  How in the world did he let himself get mixed up in something like this?

The top of his security feed was obscured by an incoming call, and he stared at the text, “unknown number” in contemplation.  He would normally never consider taking such a call, but now that he was somehow mixed up with the Dragmire’s, his caution needed to be altered.  If this was some lackey checking up on him and he didn’t answer, there would probably be repercussions. So he slid his thumb over the announcement, and spoke in a guarded voice.

“Hello?”

“Sidon, hello,” the voice on the other end was polite and courteous, and the Lorulian accent was much less noticeable, as if it had been somewhat abandoned by years of living in Hyrule.  “I apologise for calling so late. I’m afraid I’ve never been one to keep sensible hours. I would say that artists are, on the whole, known for living more by their own biological clocks than the punch clock, but I am making a conscious effort to move away from pretension.” He laughed at what he believed passed for a joke and continued, “This is Yuga Dragmire.”

“Good evening, Yuga,” Sidon said with a bit of curiosity brewing below the surface.

“Good evening.  I won’t bore you with pleasantries.  I’ve called to apologise for my father, something that would, no doubt, provoke his ire.  I asked Hillie not to contact him earlier, but she would not be swayed. She’s concerned for your bunny, after she saw what Ghirahim was capable of with Ravio.  Father was in… quite a huff, I believe, after that. He sent me several messages blaming me for this entire bunny debacle. I was the one, you see, who told him…  I, one could argue, erroneously, believed that bunnies were safe. I had never seen one act out so harshly before. They are, after all, marketed as companions to children.”

“I think they are safe,” Sidon said as he selected a bottle from the shelves, and went about the business of setting it up on a tray with three glasses.

“Apparently not,” Yuga said with a sigh, and continued, “Sidon, I would never have allowed you to take him if I knew he would attack other pets.  He’s always been so good. My grandfather had friends with bunnies and he always played so nicely with them. He had never injured another bunny before Ravio.  I really didn’t think he would be capable of such a thing. That was my judgement call, and I was wrong. And now my father thinks I am a fool, with good reason.  I know next to nothing about the creatures, but I have been trying to learn, both from Hilda and through my own research. My father and I have set up a room for Ghirahim on his estate in the Gerudo Desert.  It’s nearly complete, and I want to offer… when I spoke to my father about this he became predictably irate, but you can’t let him intimidate you. His bark is worse than his bite. I’ve offered to move from my studio back to my father’s estate to care for Ghirahim, at least until we can make better arrangements.  I feel as if this entire thing is my fault. Father will complain, of course, as is his nature, but I have lived in constant fear that the poor little thing may lash out and attack your bunny ever since I saw what he did to Ravio.”

“I appreciate the sentiment,” Sidon said, carrying the tray up the stairs, “I sincerely appreciate it.  But I do feel as if I’ve made great progress. He is dangerous- I won’t deny that. But even so, he actually seems quite taken with Link.  And he was able to recount the entire grizzly scene. After hearing what he’s been through, I can’t blame him for his behavior. I do hate to speak ill of your father-”

“Oh, go ahead.  I’m sure he deserves it.  I love him dearly, but the man doesn’t seem to understand how he presents himself at the best of times- and now, with grandfather’s death hanging over him?  He’s been an absolute mess. And he has no one to confide in. He’s been a fixture at the temple, praying every night to the goddesses that something good comes of all this.  I’ve gone with him a few times. He barely knows where he is. My grandmother, Twinrova, is the high priestess of the desert temple. Father has fallen back on his faith in a way that can, to a secular society, seem rather off-putting.  I daresay he hasn’t slept since the murder. I doubt anything you have to say on the quality of his conversation or character would come as any shock to me, and would be completely justified. I wanted to apologise for him. He threatened to have me cursed for my disrespect- for DARING to speak aloud at the altar.  There is no doubt that the goddesses have blessed us, but honestly, there is a limit to the amount of churchy nonsense a sane person can be expected to perform.”

This information shocked Sidon.

He had been thinking of Ganondorf as the kingpin of a crime syndicate, not as a boy who had lost his father in a gorey, unexpected murder.  The thought of the huge, mountain of a man with his head bowed in a temple, night after night, praying on an alter, probably clutching a triforce medallion and sobbing quietly- it was one he had not called up on his own, but one that slotted into place instantly and made far too much sense to be a deception.

Sidon had lost his mother and his sister when he was very young.  He knew that pain. And though he had had years to work through it, to learn how to express those emotions and move on with his life, Ganondorf had not been given the luxury of time.  These wounds were still fresh- and Ghirahim was a living reminder of that terrible event. And every time Sidon called him, he tore those wounds wide open.

“I am not as devout as I should be,” Sidon admitted, “I don’t even have an alter in the house.”

“I daresay most people do not,” Yuga said as if he was shrugging.  “What were you going to say about my father?”

“I can’t recall,” Sidon said, because it was true.  His annoyance had fled in the face of the truth.

“Well, whatever it was, I apologise for it,” Yuga continued.  “I am absolutely prepared to come and take the poor little bunny off your hands.”

“I appreciate that, but I believe…” Sidon took a deep breath, “I believe that this is the best place for him, right now.”

“Yuga?” Sidon recognized the voice as belonging to Hilda.  What was Yuga doing with Hilda at this time of night? It was after midnight.

“I’ll be there in a moment, your grace!” Yuga said to Hilda, and to Sidon he continued, “We are deeply appreciative of your service to our family, Sidon.  Even if father doesn’t show his gratitude very well, I assure you, he does remember his friends. Underneath that aggressive exterior, he has a kind soul. My grandmother believes that he was chosen by the goddesses to live a life of leadership.  He does care deeply about many things, many people. He cares so deeply it wears him down. I believe he may see that empathy as a weakness, because he seems to make unsuccessful attempts to hide his affection.”

“Thank you,” Sidon said, because being thanked for his work was much more pleasant than being yelled at for not moving quickly enough.

“This is my private number,” Yuga explained, “Please feel free to contact me if you ever need anything.”

“Of course,” Sidon said with a small smile, and paused outside his bedroom door.

“After all this is over,” Yuga said, though Sidon had thought that would have been the end of the conversation, “I would be even more indebted to you if you would let me photograph your bunny.  I would love to paint a portrait of Link. He’s adorable.”

“Oh,” Sidon said, a little taken aback, “I would love that.”

“Thank you,” Yuga said contentedly, “I’ll let you take your rest.  Good night, sweet prince. May angels sing you to your sleep.”

“Thank you,” Sidon said, more than a little impressed by the sheer civility and poise, “Good night, Yuga.”

 

He slid the phone into his pocket, and opened the door to see that Ghirahim had Link immobilized, pinned to the mattress with both his wrists locked in one hand.  The other was dug into his hair, jerking his head to the side so Ghirahim could kiss at the bruises he had created. 

Hopefully.

That was also uncomfortably close to the way he had held Ravio down to rip out his throat.  So Sidon spoke softly, but with enough force to make his presence known.

“Would you boys like a drink?” He asked, and set the tray on the bedstand closest to them.

“Oh thank the goddesses,” Ghirahim released Link instantly, and Link whined at the loss of contact, “honestly, at this point I don’t even care if it’s drugged.  I should have been in a drunken stupor since I got here. The fact that you allow sobriety in this house is inexcusable.”

“Your opinion has been noted,” Sidon rolled his eyes and popped the cork from the bottle, “However, as I have never seen someone outside a fraternity house down a snifter of brandy as if it was a shot of whiskey, I will take your advice with a grain of salt.  Please, sip this slowly. Don’t throw it back in one drink.”

He filled a glass and handed it to Ghirahim, who glared at him and took a sip.  It seemed to be to his liking, because he smiled, rolled back over Link, and splayed himself out among the pillows.

Sidon only filled Link’s glass halfway, and Link, still exhausted and a little emotionally confused, smiled and said, “Thank you, Sidon.”  He scooted and bumped Ghirahim with his hip until he reluctantly moved enough to allow Sidon to sit with them.

“It’s been a long night, hasn’t it?” Sidon asked as he filled his own glass.  Link nodded, and Ghirahim sighed.

“I would rather not pretend pleasantries, Sidon, if you don’t mind.”  He said, looking into his glass, “The tense atmosphere may be gone, but my memory is not so short.  I daresay that you and I will never be the kind of people who are able to casually share a drink.” He took a drink and watched Sidon do the same, then added, “Though it is…  comforting to see you drink from the same bottle.”

“How come you think we’re going to poison you?” Link asked.

“I am plagued by mistrust,” Ghirahim said, and turned to watch the snow falling softly on the balcony.

“You don’t need to be,” Sidon said quietly.  “Honestly, Ghirahim, I’ve done everything you’ve asked.  Can’t you see that it’s Hylia who has made you paranoid? Link and I want to help you, to be your friends.”

“I…” Ghirahim sighed, “I want to believe you.  Maybe I am haunted by my past. Maybe I don’t forgive quickly.  I don’t think I can be blamed for that.”

“You did really well today, before you ran,” Sidon praised, sitting up and watching Ghirahim over Link, “I meant what I said.  I am proud of you. You got through that video without hurting anyone, and you were able to recollect the entire night of that awful murder.  I’m so, so sorry that you had to go through that.”

“I don’t need your pity,” Ghirahim said, and Link felt like they had had this conversation already.

“He’s being nice,” Link explained, “It doesn’t matter if you need it or not.  It’s still nice. Don’t be bad.”

Ghirahim huffed in annoyance and took a long drink from his glass.  “Let’s not have this conversation. Let us, instead, get me blackout drunk and quietly suppress it until it absolutely needs to be dealt with.”

“Ghirahim,” Sidon warned as Ghirahim took a second long drink and finished the glass, “That’s a terrible idea.  That’s unhealthy.”

“Nonsense,” Ghirahim held out his glass for a refill, “I’m much smaller than a human, Sidon, it’ll only take me maybe…  two or three glasses. You’ll love blackout Ghirahim, I hear he’s an unrepentant slut.”

Link giggled because Ghirahim’s voice carried the inflection of a joke.  He was pretty sure he knew what a slut was, had heard the word before, and he liked the idea it conjured up.  He liked the relaxed, friendly atmosphere a lot better than the fight. He wanted to get drunk too! It made him sick, the day after, and Sidon wouldn’t usually let him drink to that point anymore because of it, and because he got scared when he couldn’t remember what he had done.  But Ghirahim wasn’t scared- to him the unknown was exciting! Ghirahim, Link thought, must think he was a coward. He wasn’t afraid of fights or swords or drinking. And Link wasn’t going to be a coward! He was good at swords, he could get in a fight without being sent to the shelter- and he could get ‘shitfaced’ without being scared of the aftermath.

He threw back the rest of his own wine, and Sidon let out a startled, “Link!”

“Oh, Little Toy, I didn’t mean you,” Ghirahim laughed, “You’re so small…”

“I can do it!” Link said with confidence, though his voice slurred.

“Give us something stronger, Sidon,” Ghirahim demanded sweetly, and leaned forward on his hands as if he was going to crawl into his lap.

“No,” Sidon said with authority, “I know Link.  He’ll be tipsy on that.”

“Well I won’t,” Ghirahim argued.

“Your pupils are huge and your words are slurring,” Sidon argued.

Ghirahim  _ did  _ crawl into his lap, straddled him, and stared up at him with those giant red eyes, pleading and adorable.

“Please?”

“I’m not stupid,” Sidon said with a chuckle and kissed the top of his head.  “You’ll regret this in the morning.”

“Regret is the future tense of indecision,” Ghirahim argued, “Do I look indecisive?”

“Naru’s gossamer wings, you’re worse than Link,” Sidon sighed, “I’ll bring one more bottle, but that’s all you two are getting.”

He stood, and Link smiled, and proclaimed, “Thank you, Sidon!”

“You’re going to have hangovers, and no one is going to cry over it,” Sidon warned.

“I know how to fix a hangover,” Ghirahim said to Link with great confidence.

“Really?” Link asked skeptically.

“Yes, my master drinks- er… drank, quite heavily,” Ghirahim said as if it was a point of pride, so Sidon corrected him.

“That’s not a good thing, Ghirahim.”

“And he always said that you could cure it with a lot of protein, so he always had his cook make him a large breakfast- but when I tried to eat the things he ate, the half dozen eggs, for example, he would get incredibly angry and tell me that I was going to poison myself.  I’m supposed to be on this organic paleo-vegan diet because the vet told him that was best- that cake you gave me made me feel like my teeth were going to rot out, by the by- I don’t think bunnies are supposed to have that much processed food-”

“By the goddess,” Sidon said as if that was ridiculous, and thought that Ghirahim was not known to ramble to him as if they were old friends.  He was definitely already feeling the alcohol. “That brandy you talked about getting drunk on, was that organic paleo-vegan?”

“Yes, and he mostly drank whiskey.  He was very particular about it. We got small batches made in local distilleries.  We went on tours. We would have wine, for parties and such, and we would go to Vinyards to select it.  Labrynna is known for their vast gardens and amazing wine. Anyway, my point is that his cure wouldn’t work for me, so he did some research and found one that would.  You take tofu, blueberries, bananas, ginger, coffee, and ice and make a smoothie. It makes those annoying headaches and stomach pains go away.”

“That can’t possibly work,” Sidon frowned, “If it did, everyone would know about it.  The only thing that will really cure a hangover is time.”

“Sidon would you please be a dear and fetch the other bottle your promised us?” Ghirahim asked sweetly, “You won’t regret it.”

“Fine,” Sidon sighed.  He was only agreeing because he felt sorry for Ghirahim, and he knew that this was a terrible idea.  “But we are going to work on your testimony tomorrow. You won’t get out of it because you drank yourself sick.”

“Sidon, you wound me,” Ghirahim put a hand over his heart in shock, “I assure you, I am not trying to get out of anything.”

“Does being drunk make you better at sex?” Link asked, and Ghirahim burst out laughing.

“Little toy, you have a one-track mind,” he giggled.

“Sorry,” Link blushed and wriggled to try to better hide his erection.

“No,” Ghirahim answered him, “It can make you terrible.  You’ll get whiskey dick.”

“What’s that?” Link asked.

“By the goddesses, Link’s vocabulary is completely shot,” Sidon mumbled, “You two be good.  I’ll return in a few minutes.”

As soon as he was gone, Ghirahim knee-walked to the tray to refill his glass.  He shook the bottle and realized it was nearly empty, but poured the rest for Link.

“If you drink too much, you’ll be unable to maintain an erection.  You also lose coordination. One or both of us is going to fall at some point tonight.  Don’t be shocked if you wake up with bruises in strange places. One of Master Ganondorf’s friends is a priest named Zant- they used to travel together, and he would sometimes accompany him on visits to Demise’s estate.  I adore that boy, but he could not hold his liquor, yet was always eager to try. He and I would be the first to go, and I have watched many videos, of which I have no recollection, of our time together.” Ghirahim laughed and began to sing, “ _ Now the party don’t start til I walk in _ .”

Link giggled and sipped.  Sidon was right, he knew his limits, and the world was already fuzzy around the edges.  This was a terrible idea.

“It’s…  weird,” he said.

“What is, Little Toy?” Ghirahim asked him, squinting at the bottle as if he was trying to get some kind of information from it.

“That you have friends,” Link said with his loosened tongue, “You’re so mean.”

“Oh for the love of Din, I am not  _ mean _ ,” Ghirahim huffed, “I just don’t like your master, in particular.  I don’t repay cruelty with kindness.” He took a long drink.

“Sidon likes you,” Link took the bottle from him and set it back on the tray, then immediately regretted moving as the room spun around him.

“Oh I’m sure,” Ghirahim rolled his eyes and drained the rest of his second glass.  “Has this hit you yet? I don’t feel anything?” He held his hands in front of them and stared at them as if they held some great meaning.

“He does!” Link promised.  “He wishes we could keep you.”

“You believed that?” Ghirahim laughed, “Of course you do.  You believe everything he says.”

“I wish you would be nice to Sidon,” Link pouted, “He’s trying.”

“I am being nice, Little Toy.  Haven’t I been so very nice since I said I would be?  I’ll be much nicer once I know alcohol will obliterate any memory I may have of tonight.  I may win him over yet. Though I will apologise in advance, I may ruin some things for you.”

“Ruin?” Link asked in confusion.

“Your master is a cruel man.  Once I stop fighting back, I foresee that cruelty running unchecked.  Once he has a taste it may…” Ghirahim trailed off and his ears shot up.

“He’s not cruel!” Link argued.

“Shut up,” Ghirahim whispered, “He’s back.”

“Then don’t be so mean!” Link argued.

“What did he do?” Sidon asked as he entered.

“Nothing,” Ghirahim answered.

“He said you were cruel!” Link had crawled forward again, and there was aggravation in his voice, but Ghirahim shoved him down easily with one hand on his chest.

“Drink the rest of that.  Let’s see what happens,” Ghirahim advised, “I’ve never seen you drunk.  Are you often this angry? Do you start barroom brawls? I had sort of hoped you would get more malleable.”

“No one is starting any drunken brawls,” Sidon huffed, “If you start fighting, I will separate you.  You two have to play nice. Link, people’s lips loosen as they drink. I believe Ghirahim will probably have quite a bit to say before the night is out.  Don’t let it get to you.”

“Yes,” Ghirahim agreed, “Don’t let me get to you, Little Toy.  Let’s be friends again, alright?”

“I just wish you wouldn’t be so mean to Sidon,” Link pouted.

“I promise that I will be exceptionally nice to Sidon,” Ghirahim said with an evil grin, “How would you like me to prove it?  Do you want me to kiss him again?”

“Kiss me again,” Link giggled, and Ghirahim did, though he felt it wouldn’t prove anything.

Sidon sat next to them and picked up the empty bottle with a judgemental frown.  Then he looked at Link, at the smile that split his face between the little pecks he was getting from Ghirahim, and thought of the few times he had allowed him to overindulge.  It was, perhaps, common among bunnies that lowering their inhibitions made them much easier to deal with in the bedroom, because it certainly had that effect on Link. The first time they had ever been together it had been necessary to settle his nerves and loosen him up a little.

It would be a criminal act to let such a good mood go to waste, but for now he was interested to see if Ghirahim was actually a bunny of his word.  The fight seemed to have drained him, and Sidon knew that the horrible things Ganondorf had said had to weigh heavily on his mind. One night of debauchery, in a safe, controlled environment, wouldn’t kill him.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“Huh?” Link asked, trying to blink life into his pretty doll’s eyes, “Mmmm…  Sidon.” The room spun around him, and he snuggled into Sidon’s thigh, a stationary point in the madness, “I’m druuuuuuunk.”

He said it as if he was proud of himself, so Sidon scratched him gently between the ears and agreed, “Yes, darling, you are.”

“It’s loose,” Link said, staring up at Sidon, “I’m going to fall.”

“I knew it would be one of us,” Ghirahim agreed, as if that made sense, “One more glass, Sidon?  I’m nearly there. I can feel it creeping in.”

Sidon scoffed.  ‘Creeping in’. Ghirahim was full blown drunk, and Sidon suspected that he would argue it until his last breath.  He had met people like that, who had no notion of their own tolerance and would insist that they were fine even as they were staggering into things.  It would probably be hilarious to watch him try to walk right now.

“Are you sure you haven’t had enough?” He asked instead, trying to betray none of the thoughts he had.

“No, absolutely not.  I can still think. I need more, I need to replace all my blood with it.” Ghirahim explained as if he was saying something important and wise.

“Blood?” Link asked.

“Yes, Little Toy, that’s how it works,” Ghirahim nodded sagely.

“Don’t scare him,” Sidon warned.

“How is that frightening?” Ghirahim asked in genuine confusion.

“You aren’t making any sense,” Sidon refilled the empty glass and handed it to Ghirahim.  “Don’t spill that on the bed, please.”

“I make perfect sense!” Ghirahim decreed, “that is how it works!”

“Blood?” Link asked again, and cowered into Sidon’s thigh.  He didn’t want anything in his blood, and the very word conjured up the taste.  He hadn’t wanted to bite anyone! It was the first time he had fought since the shelter!  He had worked so hard to be so good, and he would never had done it if Ghirahim hadn’t been so mean to Sidon!  

He opened his eyes, and both Sidon and Ghirahim were smiling.  At each other. They weren’t fighting at all. Link didn’t understand why his first response to everything was fear.  It didn’t need to be, and happiness made more sense. He wanted to have fun, too! So he kept one hand on Sidon’s thigh and pushed himself up to lean against him.

“Ghirahim?” He asked.

“Yes, little toy?” Ghirahim replied after a particularly large drink that brought a smile to his face.

“I don’t want to be scared…  all the time,” Link admitted, “I want to be carefree, like you and Ravio.”

“I don’t know how the hell you looked at me and got ‘carefree’,” Ghirahim laughed.

“I don’t either, darling,” Sidon pulled Link into his lap, “can you clarify for us?”

Instead of answering, Link asked, “Is Ghirahim better at sex than me?”

“Why are you stuck in the gutter?” Ghirahim laughed again, “You’re on a roll, Little Toy.”

“I’m bad at it,” Link looked as if he might cry.

“What in the world would make you believe that?” Sidon asked, brushing his thumbs under Link’s eyes, “Darling, please, if this is about our tiff earlier, I promise you that I understand.  You were under a great deal of stress. Everyone says things that they do not mean when they’re upset.”

“I mean, he probably is,” Ghirahim shrugged, “He’s a toy.”  He downed the rest of his glass and looked around for something to do with it, then apparently decided it was fine to just lay it on the bed beside him and leave it there while he crawled to Link.

“Give me that,” Sidon demanded, “Do you want broken glass in the bed?  Because that is how you get it.”

To his utter amazement, Ghirahim obeyed instantly, bent over backwards to grab it in a way that would have looked painful on anyone else, and handed it to Sidon, who sat it on the nightstand.

“And don’t say things like that to Link, he’s already concerned.”  He smiled down at Link and continued, “You are amazing, darling. I would never do anything to make you doubt yourself.”

“Move, Little Toy,” Ghirahim instructed, and Link felt him tugging at his back, so he leaned into the touch and let Ghirahim stroke his ears.  He felt the hum in his chest and the appreciative little scritches as Ghirahim parted and fussed with his hair. The movements were meant to calm him down, and they worked.

“You’re still pretty,” Ghirahim told him, and Link thought that it meant a lot, coming from him.  “I think you toys are meant to be small and cute forever. So you’ll always have that. And your master only wants a pretty little thing, so I don’t think you have to worry about satisfying him.  I can’t imagine Ravio can do anything you can’t. So stop worrying. Life is as it is. There would be nothing you could do to change it, so there is no point in thinking too hard, is there?”

Link shook his head in agreement.  There really wasn’t. Sidon had promised him, over and over, that he would be here forever, so there was no reason for Link to ever be afraid he would throw him away.  And all Link had ever wanted was to love and be loved in return. And he had that, so, realistically, there should never be any reason for him to be afraid.

But Ghirahim had thought that, too.  And it all went away for him.

The thought made Link so sad for him that the sorrow overflowed and guided him.  He didn’t think, just like Ghirahim had told him not to, only opened himself, allowed him to be a conduit for those emotions, and they moved his body of his own accord.  He didn’t feel himself turn around or pull Ghirahim into a kiss, and he had absolutely no idea what happened to his shirt. He didn’t know how he got positioned so that his back was pressed to Sidon’s chest, but he leaned into the warmth and squirmed.

“Do you want me to teach him how to choke you without hurting you?” Ghirahim asked.

Link wasn’t trying to follow the conversation, but that made no sense.  Sidon would never- oh fuck it, yes. Yes he did. It would be great to be able to give Sidon what he wanted without that incessant pain in his throat for two or three days afterward.  The doubethink hurt his head and he was too drunk for it, so he nodded.

“Give me your hand,” Ghirahim said, and Link thought he was talking to him, but he took Sidon’s hand instead, all by himself, without prompting, and Link was so happy to see them get along that he momentarily forgot what they were doing.  He tried to follow Ghirahim’s instructions, but he was too amazed by how happy he looked to remember exactly what he was supposed to do.

“You don’t have to squeeze hard,” Ghirahim was telling Sidon, “just a little at the pressure points.  Just stop the blood. Only do it until I pass out. Let go instantly. You can kill someone so easily like this…”

Link thought Sidon must have listened, because Ghirahim leaned back and smiled, then let out a little happy ‘ah’ sound- then went limp.

Sidon drew back like he had been shocked, and Ghirahim fell onto his side on the bed.  Link had a moment of blind panic- but he blinked his eyes hazily open and arched off the bed with a little gasp.

“Are you alright?” Sidon asked.

“It’s better with someone inside me,” Ghirahim rolled onto his stomach, but Link knew he was better than alright.  He had seen him grin like that before.

“Let’s take his clothes off,” Link suggested, because that was what the grin meant.

“If you insist, darling,” Sidon chuckled, “but I don’t know if you’re coordinated enough.”

Link tried to crawl out of his lap, but the room spun so badly it was nothing but a blur of colors, and he clung fiercely to Sidon to avoid falling into the tornado.

“I’m not,” Link admitted sadly.

“It’s fine, little toy, I can do it myself,” Ghirahim pushed himself up into a sitting position, “I would rather do it myself.  I don’t trust you people not to rip or cut things.”

He stood, and Sidon reached out a hand to steady him.

“Don’t stand up on the bed,” Sidon told him.

“Oh honestly, Sidon, it’s literally a cushion,” Ghirahim gestured to the mattress, and gave a little hop, “Oh, and it’s springy.  You can’t expect a bunny not to hop. Besides, I am the very picture of grace.” He pulled his tank top off in one smooth motion and tossed it at Link, “Put on some music.”

“No, sit down before you hurt yourself,” Sidon demanded.

“Oh honestly, how the hell would I hurt myself?” Ghirahim asked as he popped the button of his pants.  He unzipped them and wriggled as he pulled them down. Sidon slid Link, who protested loudly, out of his lap, and prepared himself for what would happen.  Ghirahim stood on one leg to step out of his pants, and it must have thrown his balance off, because, just as Sidon predicted, he tumbled sideways-

There was nothing Link could do.  He couldn’t get the world to stop spinning long enough to get his bearings if he tried to move.  But Sidon moved quickly, grabbed Ghirahim by the hip as he fell, and pulled him into his lap.

“What did I say?” Sidon demanded.

“...I may be a little drunk,” Ghirahim admitted.

“No, tell me what I said,” Sidon said in the same voice, the one that made a shiver run down Link’s spine, “What did I tell you not to do?”

“Sidon, darling,” Ghirahim sighed, “I have a difficult time remembering your words when I am sober.  To remember now would be impossible. I will admit that I have absolutely no idea. I didn’t listen to you.”

“I told you not to do that because you were going to fall.  And then you fell. If you had listened to me, I wouldn’t have had to catch you.” Sidon explained.

“Oh, did I put you out terribly?” Ghirahim laughed, and the world spun around him as Sidon arranged him face down over his lap.  Ghirahim didn’t seem to be at all averse to this new position, which gave him perfect access to Link’s lap, and instead began to kiss at his stomach while his hands fumbled for the zip on his pants.

Link giggled under the attention, and reached out to pet Ghirahim’s ears, being especially careful with the one that had been cut.  He didn’t think it still hurt, but he thought that if he called too much attention to it, it might make Ghirahim sad. Ghirahim nuzzled up into his touch, then let out a loud moan as he suddenly rocked forward to the sound of a loud  _ SLAP _ .

Like’s eyes shot to Sidon’s puzzled face.

“I don’t know why I thought that would work,” Sidon mumbled.

“Why did you stop?” Ghirahim demanded.

“Just…  stay right there,” Sidon held him steady while he slid off the bed, so moving from his lap wouldn’t send Ghirahim spiraling again, “On your hands and knees just like that.  Don’t move.”

“Mm-hm,” Ghirahim agreed as if he wasn’t particularly paying attention.  His mind was completely occupied with working with Link to get his pants off, something that both of them felt should not have been nearly as complex as it actually was.  To their credit, they did, through the power of teamwork, manage to achieve their goal, and Link was only vaguely aware of Ghirahim’s movements as he snatched the bunched up fabric and tossed it from the bed.

He was very aware of his next movements, when he felt more than saw the tight, wet vacuum that engulfed his cock.  His eyes closed of their own accord, and his body involuntarily moved backwards so fast that he smacked the back of his head on the headboard, and stars danced behind his eyelids.  Then then mouth on him was gone, and Ghirahim was pulling him forward.

“Dumb bunny,” Ghirahim chuckled, and Link tried to blink him into existence, but everything was so blurry and all he could really take in was the basics of his face, the half he could see, and the fact that half of it was obscured annoyed him.  He reached out to brush Ghirahim’s hair out of the way so he could stare into both of his giant, red eyes.

“I don’t like your hair,” Link huffed.

“That’s because you have no taste,” Ghirahim explained, stuck out his tongue, and reached up with one hand to pull something off of it.  He stared at the hair he had pulled off his tongue, grimaced, and added, “I don’t like yours either. I thought you said you went to the groomer!  They did an abysmal job!”

“It wasn’t her fault,” Sidon explained, and Link watched him shuffle onto the bed behind Ghirahim, “She tried and he screamed and clawed at her.”

“Ugh.  Selfish,” Ghirahim decided, “Little Toy, no one wants your pubes between their teeth- maybe if either of you ever thought of anyone besides yourselves this house would not be in a constant state of tens- oooh.”

He seemed to forget his complaint and grabbed Link by both shoulders to press their lips together.  Link wrapped both arms around him, and lost himself in the kiss. He heard Sidon’s voice, somewhere far away, giggling.

“I thought that might shut him up.  He is right, though, darling. We really do need to do something about that.”

Ghirahim pulled away, panting, and Link leaned back to let him kiss down his chest.

“Sorry,” he said softly, as he stroked one of Ghirahim’s long ears, and got a hum of acknowledgement against his hipbone in response.  Link didn’t want to think about the groomer right now, he wanted to think about Ghirahim’s tongue, which was, despite the complaints, traveling from the base of his cock to the head.

He pushed himself up on his arms and spoke to Sidon.

“Let me get him down my throat, then fill me up,” he huffed, and added, “As best you can.”

“So demanding,” Sidon chuckled, “Go on then.  You’re making us wait.” He reached down, took Ghirahim by the hair, and shoved his head down.  Link winced- he hated having his head jerked around, especially when it was to shove something down his throat like that.  Ghirahim, however, didn’t seem bothered at all, in fact, as he swallowed, he let out an appreciative hum, as if he was enjoying himself.

“He does do a good job, doesn’t he, darling?” Sidon asked Link, who had gone limp at the sensation.  “Give credit where it’s due and praise when it’s deserved.”

“Really…  good…” Link was trying to obey Sidon and praise Ghirahim for being good.  He knew he should, but it was so hard to think right now that words were difficult to conjure up.

Ghirahim hummed again, and swallowed.  The force of Sidon’s thrust didn’t knock him forward like Link had thought it would.  It would have knocked  _ him _ forward.  He didn’t know how Ghirahim resisted him, how he braced himself, how he was even strong enough to push back against him and keep himself stationary.  Maybe it was because he worked out so much. Maybe Link would be better at sex if he worked out, too.

Sidon knocked him out of those thoughts with a deep, meaningful kiss that shut his brain down completely.  He could feel his own eyes glaze over, and when Sidon pulled back and asked him something, he had no idea what the question had been.  He had certainly heard sound spill from his lips, but his brain could not interpret it in any meaningful way.

There was pressure on his dick now, and he tried to figure out what that wonderful massage that seemed to know exactly where and how to touch him was coming from.  It couldn’t have been anyone’s hand, because the warmth and moisture told him that he was still in Ghirahim’s mouth. He looked down, and had that thought confirmed.  Ghirahim was moving in time with Sidon’s thrusts now, rocking with his whole body in an inverted rhythm, pushing back against Sidon when he thrust forward, and forward onto Link when he pulled back.

The massage had to be coming from his tongue.

How was he coordinated enough to do all that?

Then all at once it was gone, and Ghirahim laughed.  An irrational anger came over Link. He had never liked it when people stopped in the middle of sex, and he tugged on the ear he was still holding to try to get his attention.  It was something he had seen Hilda do to Ravio, and he had always known it to work. He didn’t tug hard enough to hurt, but he thought that Ghirahim had a hard time telling what the sensation of  _ pain _ actually was, because he moved his head to tug against him and hissed in pleasure.

“Mmmm, yes,” he purred, bit his lip, and looked as if he was trying to remember something, “Little toy likes…  restriction… asph-ix-i-a-tion…” he said it as if he was having just as difficult a time remembering how language worked as Link, and Link wasn’t sure that what he had said was even a real word.  “Give him what he wants Sidon, I can’t do it from down here. He’s going to explode inside me. I can feel it.”

“What a wonderful idea,” Sidon agreed, “I will admit it.  You were right, darling, I do like Drunk Ghirahim.” He laughed.

“Everyone does,” Ghirahim agreed softly, before leaning forward on his elbows and swallowing Link whole again.

Link screamed at the sensation and thrashed backwards involuntarily.  He found himself stuck there, pinned by a hand again, but it was much different, and much better, than what he was used to.  He could breath perfectly fine, but the already fuzzy world went a little white around the edges, like it had when he had worn the corset.  He heard Ghirahim’s pleased hum as he felt his cock twitch inside him, but all those sensations were fading away. He tried to keep his eyes open, to watch Sidon watching him with those glowing golden eyes, full of curiosity and maddness, and for once in his life, he did not fear the monster there.

He knew that it wouldn’t kill him, not because he trusted it, but because it couldn’t.  He was not now, and probably had never been, so fragile as he had once thought himself. His body tingled, and without the pain in his throat, he felt that pleasant numbness, perhaps the gentle hand of death, slowly overcome him, starting with his extremities and traveling through his torso to his mind- which blissfully shut down.  The last thing he saw was Sidon’s smiling face, and the last thing he felt was the peaceful embrace of the nothing that cradled him.

Reality slammed into him all at once, as it had in the car when Sidon took off the corset, and all his senses returned, bombarded, an all out assault that he was not prepared for.  Ghirahim had him by the hips, and he bucked up into his mouth in a way that he knew had to be painful, but could not control. It was too much, even more intense than it had been with the collar around his balls, and he felt the tears leaking from his eyes.  Ghirahim held on for only a second too long before he pulled himself up on his hands and knees, swallowed, then opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue as if he was proud of himself.

He hummed as if he had just eaten something delicious and snuggled his face into Link’s chest.  Sidon was pounding away hard enough to rock the bed, but Ghirahim held his ground, as he had during the sword fight, but his breathing was becoming raggad, and he gasped in time with the movement.

“Harder, Hylian!” he demanded as if he was angry, “Honestly, I don’t understand why you’re holding back!  I feel more in you!”

Sidon laughed, and yanked the ear out of Link’s hand to hold both of them where they connected to Ghirahim’s head.

“Do you want me to tear you apart, little bunny?  Have  _ some  _ dignity.” 

“Harder!” Ghirahim demanded, “Knock me down!  I should not be able to resist you!”

He gasped as Sidon slammed so hard he knocked him forward into Link, onto his elbows, and leaned over him, tugging him by the ears to get him into position.

“What a demanding little bunny,” Sidon laughed, “did your old master reprimand you for running your mouth?”

“The night you raped me,” Ghirahim sneered, “was not the first time I have bitten through a gag.  This is ridiculous, Sidon. You tell me I need to burn off stress? Fuck me like you hate me. Treat me like the animal you think I am.”

He glared over his shoulder at him, and Sidon leaned over to growl in his ear.

“I don’t hate you, you idiot,” he spoke quietly, and Ghirahim moaned into Link’s chest, “I like you.  We both like you. If I could, I would keep you forever. You’re going to teach Link how to enjoy this as much as you do, aren’t you?”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim agreed, as if in a daze, and Link realized that one of Sidon’s arms was wrapped around him.  The hand not tugging on his ears had to be stroking his dick.

“What was that?” Sidon asked, as if he was pleased to the point of rapture, “Say that again, cuddlebunny- it may push me over the edge.  That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim agreed again, more breath than words, and Link knew that he wasn’t with them.  He was somewhere else, completely. His suspicions were confirmed when he felt Ghirahim tense up under him, and a pit of sadness settled in his stomach at his words.

“Please, master, use me, fill me up, let me submit.  Please, please, fuck me, cum inside me! Please, Demise!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I'm really trying to bullet-train this thing into an ending or series of endings, but this being out of commission thing has either made me really bad at writing or really good at writing, but I know I can't actually tell which. I've been on a Bob's Burgers/Sailor Moon marathon since I got home. Again, my current plan is to just write any endings that yhall suggest- and I might go back and write 'bonus' scenes if people request them because I think I'm gonna skim over things I wanted to include like Ganondorf's solstice party because I just really need this story to end. It's almost as long as an actual book. Like I'm pushing 30 chapters. I'm sorry guys. I'm so bad at editing myself. I need to work on it.
> 
> But I told people I was gonna write more of that HW fic like a YEAR ago. If people have that bookmarked they're gonna be so shocked that I kept my word.
> 
> Oh, also I updated the Emerald Knight playlist but I don't think anyone is listening to it anyway. I guess I've temporarily given up on it because I hit a wall with the fact that I just don't know how to edit. I need to upload it to that place Mercy told me about because I've not done that yet.
> 
> Also, I'm gonna start doing letsplays on that same channel, but they're real low res because my internet won't upload anything in a decent resolution because it's upload speed is less than 1mps. I live in the middle of the woods and have terrible internet.
> 
> Holy shit someone is outside my house. Why do I have visitors? I guess I need to go deal with that but I'm not happy about it. The puppies will eat them, they're so mean.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's see... in this chapter we've got another flashback where you can catch a glimpse of Demise and Ganondorf interacting (the opening), a huge timeskip (yhall we're 22 chapters in with no end in sight, something's gotta give) and a FABULOUS makeover. Also, an idea of what Ghirahim's like when he's not purposefully being a dick- remember in the games that he genuinely liked Link, he just thought he was blindly following a master that didn't deserve him and fucking up his plans when he could have joined and helped Ghirahim. Link's not doing that in this AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy mother's day! So... the last 2 chapters of this I uploaded late, therefore I've decided to upload this one early. I hope you like it!
> 
> As always, I want to thank MissG, and encourage everyone to check out her work, which is linked at the beginning of this story!
> 
> Also, if you want to help a bitch out, I have a ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/takocos
> 
> I've got this open in Google Docs and I'm trying to steamroll towards a real ending. I know people want more of that Hyrule Warriors AU. When this is finished, I'm going to take a sabbatical, write the everloving fuck out of that, and publish it on a weekly schedule, because now I know people like that. I haven't forgotten about it, I just can't multitask.

“Oh my god, dad why!?” Ganondorf threw his hands over his ears to block the impossibly loud sound of the blender, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“WHAT?” Demise yelled over the sound of the blender.

“TURN THAT OFF,” Ganondorf demanded.

“WHAT?” Demise asked, “I CAN’T HEAR YOU I’M GOING TO TURN THE BLENDER OFF.”  He did, and poured the smoothie into a glass, “LORD GHIRAHIM!” After a beat, he said, “He can’t hear me.  Maybe I should take it up to him.” He took a deep breath and bellowed, “GHIRAHIM! COME INTO THE KITCHEN! CAN YOU HEAR ME!?”

“Dad for fuck’s sake,” Ganondorf still had his hands pressed to his ears, “Hangover.  Also, your own child sitting over here. For the love of all three goddesses, stop with the fucking screaming.”

“You can’t hold your liquor,” Demise chuckled.  “Did you ever find out if your little buddy had a pulse?”

“He does, I think he’s just in a coma,” Ganondorf sipped the screwdriver his father had given him with a friendly, ‘hair of the dog, Ganny’.

Ghirahim came quietly into the kitchen dressed in one of Demise’s t-shirts, which he often wore under his suits, and which covered him as a dress would have.

“Master,” he said wincing at the lights, “I think I’m dying.  You were right. Last night was a terrible idea. This is always a terrible idea.”

“Well, it’s not every night my boy graduates,” Demise said proudly, “Nor is it every night Rovy is civil to me.  It’s worth celebrating.”

“Congratulations on the priesthood,” Ghirahim said as he sipped from the glass Demise gave him, “I don’t understand it, but it seems quite important.”

“Thanks,” Ganondorf smiled at him, and then huffed at the smell as Demise began to cook, “Dad, come on, bacon?  You know I don’t eat pork.”

“I’ll make you some eggs,” Demise told him, “What about your little friend?  What does he want?”

“Probably the sweet release of death,” Ghirahim giggled, and to Ganondorf he added, “I don’t like the smell either.  It turns my stomach. But master loves it. You’re not a bunny, so why don’t you like it?”

“I just really like pigs,” Ganondorf explained.

“He loves animals,” Demise laughed, “Always has.  ‘Dad, mom says I can’t have a boar, can I keep it at your house?’”

“I still have her,” Ganondorf said, “You didn’t do this shit around her when she was living here did you?”

“Uh…” Demise stopped and his eyes widened, “Shit.  I fed her kitchen scraps. Is it bad to feed pigs to pigs?”

“Dad are you serious right now?” Ganondorf asked, near panic.

“Of course not, Ganny, I’m not a monster.” he laughed, and Ghirahim giggled with him.

  
  


Link watched Ghirahim staring at the mixture tumbling around and around in the blender and wondered what he was thinking.  It was late; they had slept in and Sidon had allowed it, because he understood that neither of them would have felt much like moving after the night they had been through.  Ghirahim winced as he moved, and both he and Link screamed when the kitchen light flicked on.

“Sorry,” Sidon quickly shut it off again, “You don’t need to be cutting fruit in the darkness; you’ll hurt yourselves.”

“We can see in the dark, you ignorant bitch!” Ghirahim snapped, “We’re bunnies!  We’re crepuscular and meant to live underground!”

“Well well,” Sidon mused, “It looks as if someone is a little snippy because they drank themselves sick last night, exactly as I warned them not to.  It’s nice to see you two finally up and moving about.” He stroked Link between the ears and Link thought very seriously about snuggling into it from where he sat with his head on his folded arms on the bar, but could not muster the strength or gumption.  He was dying, and he blamed Ghirahim, but Ghirahim had assured him he could fix it, and Link had no reason to disbelieve him. Instead, he just let out an appreciative sound.

“Ugh, yes, but it does not do one well to dwell on the past,” Ghirahim poured the smoothie into two glasses and walked to the bar to slide one to Link, “I think that’s an important lesson to take away from…  all this.”

“Ghirahim, please don’t come into the kitchen without me,” Sidon sighed, “I can’t be expected to trust you around knives yet.”

“Sidon, with all due respect, please shut your whore mouth.  I have a headache and our hearing is better than yours by several factors.  You have no idea how much the sound of your voice grates on our frayed nerves.  You may as well be shouting.”

“Be nice,” Link warned.

“You shut up, too,” Ghirahim countered as he drank.

“You shut up,” Link snapped back, “You talk too much.”

“If you’re going to be bitchy I’ll take my smoothie back,” Ghirahim said, and moved to do so, but Link pulled it to his chest and sat up.

“No!” He pleaded, “I want it!”

“To be fair, I’m a bit pleased to hear you speak at all,” Ghirahim mused, “I feel as if you’re speaking more than you did when I first arrived.”

Link blushed and tried to concentrate very hard on his smoothie, which tasted far better than he had expected.  He hadn’t had a smoothie in a long time. He had kind of filed them away under childish things, things he used to do with Zelda, back when he was a toy bunny, but now he thought that he might have been wrong about that.  It may not be that they were for children. It was more likely that they were for anyone and Sidon just didn’t make many of them. He didn’t really snack very much.

“Ghirahim,” Sidon demanded his attention and held up a piece of paper, “I realized that I have been unfair to you.”

“Did you?” Ghirahim asked in shock, “I had thought you incapable of personal reflection.”

“But I do think that you’re more or less acclimated to your new environment and healed from your injuries,” Sidon continued, ignoring the insult, “and I know that bunnies crave safety and structure, so starting tomorrow, I’m putting you on a schedule.  There are, after all, certain things that we really need to get through every day. And I’ve added things that I know you want to do. I did actually manage to find some fencing safety equipment that I think will fit you two. So… the block in the morning that says ‘fencing lessons’?” He tapped it on the paper, “That’s actually for Link.  I don’t want you to learn, I want you to teach.”

“It couldn’t hurt him,” Ghirahim shrugged, reading over the schedule, and coming to terms with the idea that he was going to have to watch stories about Hylia, and talk about the night Demise died, every single day.  But, he reminded himself, only for a month. After the month was out, it would all be over and he would never have to look at Sidon or think about that awful night ever again. He would be able to move on with his life.  “Honestly, Sidon, this seems amiable. The only thing I would suggest is more physical activity. I don’t think you understand how much we need. That’s why Link is so weak.”

“Hey!” Link huffed.

“Little Toy, I could easily kick your ass and I smoke a pack a day,” Ghirahim explained, not unkindly, “You are weak.  You’re lazy. I don’t know if it’s because that is your nature, or if your master just doesn’t have the facilities to exercise you properly, but it disgusts me.  Oh, and for the love of all three goddesses will you please do  _ something  _ about your personal grooming?  I don’t remember what happened last night, but you are the only person here with yellow fur and I keep finding it in weird places.  You are the bunny personification of that glitter you love so much. You should hold yourself to a higher standard, because your master is not going to set those standards for you.  Just because he is willing to settle for imperfection does not mean you should. Sidon,” he turned to face Sidon, “Give me a cigarette and let me know where we are in terms of the things I ordered.  I refuse to see my taylor looking like this.”

Sidon playfully booped his nose.  “Be nice to Link. He’s a fuzzy little bunny.”

“It’s unacceptable!” Ghirahim huffed.

“He’s afraid of the clippers,” Sidon explained.

“What?” Ghirahim asked, “Why?”

Link shrugged, and Ghirahim studied him.

“You have more fear than anyone I have ever met,” Ghirahim said after a beat, “And that is an accomplishment.  Little Toy, sometimes we all must experience a little discomfort for beauty- and honestly with this in particular, it’s just common decency.  Even your master has the decency to trim. Sidon.”

“Yes?”

“Give me a cigarette!” Ghirahim demanded again, “I feel a full blown nicotine fit coming on.”

“You need to quit,” Sidon said as he pulled the pack from his pocket and handed one to Ghirahim along with a lighter.

“So you’re giving up your tea then?” Ghirahim asked with a smirk as he took them and scampered off to the sitting room to head outside.

“Put something warm on when you go outside!” Sidon called after him.

“Link, I’m turning your snow fort into my smoking lounge!” Ghirahim called back.

“He is a tornado,” Sidon sighed, and Link nodded.  

He sipped the smoothie, and the constant underlying nausea began to dissipate.  The lights behind his eyes pulsated with his heartbeat, and it gave him a headache.  But he had done it! He had drank himself into a blackout, and he wasn’t afraid.

“I hope you learned a lesson about binge drinking,” Sidon said as he set the empty blender in the sink, “I hate to see you in pain, darling.  Do you remember anything of last night?”

“Sex?” Link asked, because he had only vague flashes to pull from, and that seemed to be the central theme of all of them.

“You’re asking me?” Sidon asked, and Link nodded.  Sidon sighed and ran a hand through his hair, which had already began to come undone.  Link suspected that he had braided it loosely when he had gotten up, which, judging by the wear-and-tear that Link appreciated- he liked to watch Sidon’s braid come apart over the course of a day- he had probably gotten up at least six hours before either of the bunnies.

“How do you feel?” Sidon asked.

“My head hurts,” Link admitted, “But…  my body feels really good… I think… whatever it was?  I liked it.”

“Yes, you certainly did,” Sidon smiled and made his way to the island counter, where he leaned over and kissed Link on the forehead.  “You’re too precious, my beautiful honey-bunny.”

Link giggled, and glowed under the affection.

“We shouldn’t let Ghirahim outside alone,” Sidon reasoned with a sigh, “How I wish I could trust him.”

“I wish that too,” Link agreed with a hint of sorrow in his voice.  “Thank you for helping him, Sidon.”

“Anything for you, honey bunny,” Sidon cupped his face gently to pull him into a real kiss.

 

The day passed with so little trouble that Link allowed himself to think that Ghirahim had changed.  He did retreat to the safety of the snow fort after he told the story again, with a single cigarette and tears he pretended not to shed, and Link went with him.  He tried to add Ghirahim to the sign Ravio had made that said “Link & Ravio”- he had planned to add Ghirahim’s name under theirs so that it would say, “Link & Ravio & Ghirahim”, but he found that none of his markers would work after having been left out in the snow for a week.  Ghirahim had rolled his eyes at the attempt and called him a “silly toy”.

Sidon finished the book about the sea monster that night, and Ghirahim let him know that he thought the idea of reading sections of a book every night to Link was childish and immature, but Link, while he didn’t disagree, didn’t care.  He liked it when Sidon did things for him like that, things that maybe he did only like because he was a toy bunny- and he didn’t understand why Ghirahim didn’t fight him, why he looked proud of Link for arguing with him. If he had thought about it at all, Link would have thought that Ghirahim was just argumentative, and liked it when he pushed Link to start fights- because he didn’t understand that someone could be proud of him for standing up for himself.

The make-up Ghirahim had ordered- along with a great many other things, appeared as if by magic the next day, during the slot on the schedule that Sidon had marked, “Free Time”- and though Link felt that he could have been more grateful to receive it, he was happy because it was the first time he had seen Ghirahim  _ genuinely  _ enjoy something.  Normally, Ghirahim’s joy came tainted with a bit of sarcasm or sadness, but when Sidon gave him his package, he let out an appreciative, “Oh thank the goddesses!” and absconded to the bathroom for a little over an hour.

Link was happy to have their routine back, and appreciated the time to sit with Sidon while he tried out his new phone and computer.  Sidon had taken the phones apart, and taken a tiny card from the inside of the old one and put it into the new one. Link thought that that might be where its soul lived.

Sidon put both phones back together, and shocked Link when he held out the old, cracked one to him.

“Do you want this, darling?” Sidon asked him, “I can put some games on it for you.”

“Really?” Link asked in confusion.  He could put games on it? It could live without it’s soul?

“We’ll have to set it up so that it will recognize you, but you can have it, if you want it,” Sidon smiled at Link’s happiness.

“Thank you, Sidon!” Link wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss.  Sidon tugged him into his lap, and cuddled him there, while Link fumbled with his new toy.  It had been so dangerous once, so forbidden, so scary in Ghirahim’s hands the night he had stolen it.  But now it had been freely given, and Sidon wanted him to have it- and Ghirahim had said that it knew everything, that Link’s world was small, and this creature, this “phone” would expand it.  Sidon took it back to ‘set it up’, and Link giggled when Sidon taught him to tap the tiny pictures to play different games.

“He’s going to nickel and dime you to death with microtransactions,” Ghirahim said, and Link’s mouth fell open in shock.

Link had thought he was beautiful before- but now?  Now he was  _ flawless _ and  _ magical _ .  Link didn’t know what make-up artistry was; the terms ‘facial sculpting’ or ‘full coverage’ or ‘contour’ meant nothing to him.  All he knew was that some sort of magical transformation had taken place, and Ghirahim could stop traffic.

The vanity that he had come to accept as part of himself acted up almost immediately.

“Do me!” he demanded.

“In what sense?” Ghirahim asked.

“Oh, it looks cute,” Sidon said with a noncommittal disinterest.  He had always considered make-up on bunnies to be a waste of time and money, something that was in poor taste and was, at its logical extreme, animal abuse.  So he added, “You really did look fine before, didn’t he, Link?”

“‘Fine’,” Ghirahim mocked, “Oh, so I finally understand your standards.  I imagine they fall somewhere along the lines of ‘Good Enough’. Sidon, I need you to understand that ‘Good’ stands in the way of ‘Great’.  Come with me, Little Toy.”

“Link,” Sidon explained, as Link hopped up to follow Ghirahim, “It’s fine to play dress-up, but please don’t get addicted to that stuff.  It can’t possibly be good for you, mind or body.”

“I’ll show you how to do this,” Ghirahim purred, “And once you see what you  _ can _ be, you will be unwilling to settle for what you  _ are _ .”

Link nodded.  He remembered what Ghirahim had said before, the night he had ordered it- he had taken Link’s face in his hands and studied him, then asked, “Green and gold, right?”

Link was excited, and he sat perfectly still and listened attentively as Ghirahim taught him how to pull back his hair so that none of it got in the way as he worked.  Link stared at him as he worked, watched him hold up viles, examine them, mix them, and tried his best not to squirm when Ghirahim painted them on with a brush, talking all the while- and for the first time in a long time, there was no malice in his voice.  He was in his element. This small ritual was, though Link didn’t know it, a return to normalcy for him.

“I think all you toys have this little baby face,” Ghirahim moved Link’s face to the side, “Which is fine, I suppose, if you like that innocent, doe-eyed nonsense…  you really do have pretty doll’s eyes. Your master seems to like that- which, frankly, disgusts me.”

“You have big eyes too,” Link huffed.

“Don’t scrunch your face up, I’m waiting on that foundation to dry!” Ghirahim snapped, and took the brush between Link’s eyebrows as he returned his face to neutrality, “Besides, that isn’t what I mean.  All bunnies have physically larger eyes than Hylians- that’s just a fact. Our larger eyes allow us more pupil dilation, which allows us to soak in all available light- it gives us our dark vision. It’s why we can see in places they can’t.  We’re creatures of darkness, little toy. We’re meant to be underground.”

Link tried not to move his face as he watched Ghirahim work, and Ghirahim mistook his silence for agreement.

“What I mean is, you look young, and he dresses you like a doll.  Those little frilly things- ugh, made of synthetics- it makes you look like a Hylian child.  You aren’t a child or a doll. You’re an adult bunny. You should look like an adult bunny. I can do that, but I won’t.  I’m going to do this… well, you’ll see. Later I’ll make you look like a real cuddlebunny. But for now? Sidon wants a pretty little doll, I’ll give him a pretty little doll.  I just love the way he looks at me when I do something he likes. He can’t stand the fact that he has a high opinion of me.”

“He likes you,” Link said.

“He doesn’t like me,” Ghirahim snickered, “He loathes me- but he respects me.  He knows that I’m better than him, and he can’t stand it. It is  _ killing  _ him- absolutely tearing him apart.”

Link rolled his eyes, but Ghirahim didn’t see him.

“Don’t be mean to Sidon,” Link said, “It’s not fun.”

“It absolutely is,” Ghirahim argued, and bent over to look Link full of the face.  “Close your eyes and don’t move.”

“Why do you try to make him mad?” Link asked as he felt something powdery being lightly brushed over his closed eyelids.

“I provoke him because I dislike him and I want his psyche to shatter,” Ghirahim said with glee, “It’s going to happen eventually and I would prefer that I was there to see it.”  He paused, and Link had opened his mouth to argue with him, but Ghirahim spoke again, quietly, as if he was telling a secret, “And to protect you from it.”

“Sidon is nice to me, Ghirahim,” Link argued, and Ghirahim made a noncommittal noise.

“Are we friends, little toy?” He asked and blew on Link’s closed eyelids, “Keep them closed.”

“I think so?” Link tilted his head to the side and Ghirahim put it back.  He didn’t know how to respond to the question. The only other bunny friend he had ever had was Ravio, and it had been more obvious with him.  Ravio had told him that they were best friends, and Link had agreed, and it had been done. Link missed him, and wondered how he was feeling.

“I don’t understand why that is,” Ghirahim said as if Link would find it interesting, “Honestly, you aren’t the kind of person I would have looked twice at- some delusional little shelter toy with terrible taste and absolutely no sense of self-preservation- but…  I instantly felt some sort of connection with you. I feel as if we may be connected by the red thread of fate.”

“What is that?” Link asked as Ghirahim gently slid a much bigger brush over his eyelids.

“A legend,” Ghirahim explained, “Open your eyes.” Link did, and Ghirahim continued speaking as he drew around Link’s eyes with a pigment stick that scared him.  Link just knew that if he moved that thing would go right into his eye and blind him.

“It is said,” Ghirahim continued, “That certain people are destined to meet.  They are connected by strings that they can’t see, that exist only on the ethereal plane.  This string tugs them together.”

“Oh,” Link said, trying to understand the story.  He didn’t really have a response to it, so instead he said, “I’m glad you’re nicer now.”

“I most certainly am not,” Ghirahim laughed, “And you know it.  You were just berating me for being ‘mean’.”

“You’re nice to me,” Link explained, “I wish you would be nice to Sidon.”

“You don’t cross me, Little Toy, so you have no need to fear my wrath,” Ghirahim explained.

“Do you like Mr Ganondorf?” Link asked.

“Yes, I’ve always liked him.  It’s just a strange… it will be an adjustment.” Ghirahim paused with the mascara halfway out of the tube, in thought, “You were right, you know.  Humans are… he did love him, my master, Demise, just as I did. We both loved him. We share that. They love their parents.”

“I thought they did,” Link said and closed his eyes.

“No, keep them open,” Ghirahim said.

“Don’t poke me!”

“I won’t if you stay still!”

Link held perfectly still, frozen in fear, and let Ghirahim paint his lashes, trying not to think of the wand so close to his eyes.

Ghirahim hummed a song as he worked, and Link liked it.

“What is that?” he asked.

“Hm?” Ghirahim asked, and seemed to snap out of a trance, “Oh it’s…  it’s a song Demise used to sing to me, when I was a child and… well he never really stopped, but it was only in quiet moments…  it was… intimate. He wrote it for me, I think- it’s sort of like… his son is a priest and we used to go to the temple with him, and they sang a similar song there.”

“What’s a temple?” Link asked.

“A fancy building where humans go to thank the goddesses or ask them for things,” Ghirahim explained, “It seemed like a lot of nonsense to me, but I suppose I’ll have to get over that, living with Master Ganondorf.”

He pulled away and Link took the opportunity to nod.

“Close your eyes,” Ghirahim instructed, “This is setting powder.  It will keep everything from coming undone.”

Link nodded, and obeyed, and felt Ghirahim dusting his entire face with something.

“Alright, now open your mouth like you want a dick in it,” Ghirahim said unrolling a tube, and Link opened his mouth in a wide O.  Ghirahim didn’t put anything inside though- instead he traced his lips with the pigment stick, taking extra care with the edges. “Perfect, Little Toy, now go like this.”  He closed his mouth fiercely and pressed his lips together, and Link mimicked him. Ghirahim held out a tissue, folded it in half, “Now do it again, around this.” Link did, and looked at the imprint of pigment in the shape of his lips.  He liked the way it looked, but Ghirahim tossed it in the garbage, and pulled Link up from the edge of the tub where he had been sitting by the forearms to drag him over to the mirror.

Link felt him pull the headband from his hair, and felt him brushing it out, but he didn’t see those things- because he could not look away from his own reflection.  He  _ did  _ look like a doll, like the expensive dolls that sat on the top of a shelf in Zelda’s room that were for decoration, not for playing with.  He looked untouchable. He wanted to dress like them, in the fancy clothes that he did not know were in the style of a Hyrulian soldier. He wanted tall boots and chainmail.  He moved his hands to the place his pointed ears would be, and frowned.

“What?” Ghirahim asked as he tied off the ribbon in his hair.

“Do you ever wish you were Hylian?” Link asked.

“Ew,” Ghirahim made a face, “Why in the world would I make such a foolish wish?  Cut my speed and strength in half? Fumble blindly if I turned out the lights? As I have said before, Little Toy, I don’t hate myself.  So I would not wish inferiority on my own form.”

“Oh.” Link said, and Ghirahim stared at his reflection with quiet contemplation.

“I never did before…” Link said, because he felt like he needed to defend himself.

“Is that a wish you would make?” Ghirahim asked as he sat down the brush, and Link shrugged.  Ghirahim slowly wrapped his fingertips around Link’s shoulders, and rested his face in the crook of his neck, careful not to smudge the make-up he had just put there.

“Oh.  I see…  listen, little toy.  Hylians try to write the standard for beauty to which they expect all creatures to adhere.  If they were as pretty as they thought they were, I would accept that, however… have you lived in Hyrule your entire life?”

Link nodded.

“I have traveled the world, Little Bunny, and I promise you, you are more beautiful than any Hylian.  The most hideous Gerudo outshines the most beautiful Hylian at her peak. When we travel to my new master’s home, you will see that.  And all of them pale before us. We were bred for beauty. The Hylians put forth their own form as the standard because they are jealous.  Do you know that Hylians believe they are closer to the goddesses than the Gerudo?” Link shook his head, so Ghirahim continued, “They say that their long ears allow them to hear the voices of the goddesses.  Well, Little Toy, if that is true…” He ran his hand gently down one of Link’s long ears, which had fallen when he thought of the doll he would never be, “It is no wonder they are jealous of our form.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kind of worried that this chapter was a rushed clusterfuck. I skimmed over a LOT of stuff that, in my head, were going to be individual scenes. The chapter after this one is like that too, because I want to get to trial prep plot stuff. If you're here for porn, the next couple of weeks are going to be real disappointing, and I apologize in advance for that, but I am trying to keep this train on the tracks. Sorry about the train analogy that probably gave some folks awful Spirit Tracks flashabacks, I don't know why Nintendo thought we wanted a Zelda game controlled via stylus and it's frankly inexcusable.
> 
> Gan's boar is still alive, btw. I don't know if it'll come up again, but please know that no one has eaten her and now that he has a bunny he has two pets. Which I'm sure will thrill the fuck out of Ghirahim. I don't have a lot to say in these notes, I'm mostly just worried that folks won't like this chapter. But let me get the train moving and it'll get back to regular pacing in a little bit. I just have to get some time out of the way.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial is getting close, and the prosecutor's office is sending over an animal psychologist to test Ghirahim for competency, to make sure he can testify. Mr. Ganondorf's personal lawyer has been working closely with the prosecutor and catches wind of this the night before it happens, so she and her client rush from their homeland to Sidon's house to help prepare him. Will Sidon's work stand up to their standards?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've actually written a LOT this week, you guys. I'm supposed to be resting and recovering from my injuries, so I've had a lot of downtime. I'm on chapter 32 and we are officially the day before the trial. The end is in sight and I think I'll hit it this week and be done with this. I also edited the last 2 chapters I had written for the Hyrule Warriors fic. Been a productive week in fandom for me.
> 
> As always I wanna thank MissG, who is an amazing writer. I'm now officially too nervous to talk to you because so much time has passed, but I love your work and I have Skimilink pulled up in another window. I promise to never hijack your work again because my ass doesn't know how to treat it properly. 30+ chapters, Jesus Christ.
> 
> I have a ko-fi if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Sidon was, unfortunately, no more impressed with Link’s new look than he had been with Ghirahim’s.  But that didn’t stop Link from keeping it up. Sidon never explicitly told him that he couldn’t wear makeup, that he couldn’t let Ghirahim put his hair in elaborate styles like braids, that he couldn’t wear his cutest clothes around the house- so the three of them fell into a routine that matched Sidon’s schedule.  The new normalcy sat well with Link- he knew, more or less, what was going to happen, and his house felt less like a chaotic tornado, and more like a home. They incorporated many of the things he used to do before Ghirahim arrived, and as the days went on, it began to seem as if Ghirahim was not some destructive force, almost as if he belonged there.

Of course he had “bad” days- his behavioral outbursts never really went away completely, and after his daily “testimony” he was particularly touchy.  You couldn’t touch him or speak to him or look at him in certain ways- looking into his eyes was often considered an act of aggression, for example- but he was getting better.  He would take a cigarette and retreat to the snow fort, smoke it in silence while Link sat with him- Link himself had taken to gathering art supplies before the scheduled storytelling, and took them with him so he could sit with a sketchpad while Ghirahim calmed down.

Ghirahim had told him that he “drew link a child” and it bothered him, so he had taken to bringing his storybooks with particularly good illustrations, like the one Ghirahim had once attacked Sidon with, and trying to copy them.  As a result of his daily dedication, he was seeing a marked improvement. His images were beginning to look like the things they were supposed to look like, even if he was only working with graphite or colored pencils- his medium of choice because they were portable and small.

He had given up crayons.  They were too bulky and difficult to control, and they didn’t saturate the page in the way that he liked.  The pencils allowed him to do more, he thought, and the colors overlapped better. Ghirahim glanced over occasionally, but more often than not, they sat in silence.

His fencing training had gone better than any of them had thought.  After about a week, Ghirahim’s smugness dissipated, and he got outwardly competitive- and downright dangerous.  Sidon had to intervene several times, because it was obvious that these “lessons” were no longer actually lessons but real competitive fighting.

Link was talented in a way that neither of them had predicted.  His body and mind moved with a speed that matched Ghirahim’s- and may very well have outclassed him.  He didn’t always lose anymore, and his wins were obviously not because Ghirahim was going easy on him- Ghirahim made the fact well known by screaming and carrying on, blaming himself and announcing that he should NOT be losing to some “uncultured little shelter toy who has never held a sword before”.  When he was in those moods, he would blame anything other than Link’s skill for his loss- his own incompetence, Link having better equipment, Link having more time to acclimate to the environment, etc- but he always calmed down and they would be friends again. He had also learned, after a particularly trying match, that if he slapped Link he would get hit back- that was one of the days where Sidon had to pull them apart and put them in separate rooms for a little while.

The additional exercise made Link hungry, and a hungry Link made Sidon happy.  He no longer had to coax him to take every bite of food he put into his mouth- and meals had turned from nearly silent ordeals into times that Link looked forward to.  Link didn’t know what “paleo-organic” or “raw food” diets were, but he learned quickly that before Ghirahim had come to live with them, he had never had anything that had been cooked.  Almost everything that they ate was new to him, and he loved it. He spoke about the things he liked with the same passion he spoke about the things he hated, and seeing him happy made Link happy.  He could eat while he watched Sidon and Ghirahim talk, and considered it a vast improvement.

He was getting better at sex, too.  On days that Sidon thought they wouldn’t hurt each other, Ghirahim was supposed to be giving Link “lessons” in that as well.  It did not go according to plan. Sidon had, at first, demanded to be in the room, and it led to a shouting match that probably would have ended in violence had Link not intervened  _ again _ .  He was getting more and more used to doing that- and in the course of it all, he had learned that he was actually pretty good at settling disputes and solving problems.

Link had pointed out that he was allowed to play with Ravio alone as long as Sidon could see them on the camera, and when Ghirahim threatened to rip it out of the wall, Link had hit him in the arm for his bitchiness.  They had eventually decided that Sidon would only come in if something dangerous happened, and everyone had, to Link’s amazement, abided by that rule.

Link was…  happy.

Everything felt alright again.  His life wasn’t scary anymore.

He was feeling good, about everything, as he sat on the couch flipping through movies, while Ghirahim sat beside him eating all the popcorn that they were supposed to share.

“No,” Ghirahim said as Link settled on a movie, and stuck another kernel in his mouth.

“It’s really good!” Link promised, “The BDSMs are my favorite.”

“I have no doubt, but I can’t possibly be expected to watch ‘Bondage Slut 4’ and understand it.  That implies that there exists a ‘Bondage Sluts 1-3’ which I have never seen, and which would necessitate a fourth installment.  I’ll be completely lost.”

“There are,” Link explained, “But I can tell you about it.  What had happened was, there was this toy bunny named Orifice-”

“I don’t want you to explain it to me, I hate when people do that with movies,” Ghirahim huffed, “Let’s just start from the beginning.”

“Sidon’s seen them from the beginning,” Link argued, “He won’t want to do that.”

“For fuck’s sake, Little Toy, it’s pornography- the storyline exists for the bunnies, humans just want to see the sex.  He won’t care.” Ghirahim rolled his eyes.

Link grabbed the popcorn from him and began to eat it as Sidon walked into the room, speaking into his new phone.

“Absolutely, I’m positively excited about the prospect.  I can’t wait for you to see how much progress he’s made.”  He looked at Ghirahim and announced, “Ganondorf wants to speak to you.”

Ghirahim took the phone with a pleasant, “Hello?”

“Am I on speaker?” Ganondorf asked with only the slightest hint of annoyance.

“Yes, I’m sitting with Link  _ trying  _ to select a movie but he’s being incredibly disagreeable.  Will you please tell him that no one wants to watch a sequel to a movie they’ve not seen?  He offered to  _ explain  _ it to me,” Ghirahim said with disgust.

“Din’s glowing eyes, that shit is annoying,” Ganondorf agreed, “Zant used to do that shit.  ‘You’ll love this, Gan, it’s huge with the Twili. I’ll tell you what you’ve missed’. And it’s like: Bitch.  Spoilers.”

Ghirahim sneered at Link and Link shoved a handful of the popcorn into his mouth, realized it was almost empty and held the bowl up to tongue the last bits from the bottom.

“Go floss,” Sidon told him.

“The trial’s coming up,” Ganondorf continued, and Link left the door to the downstairs bathroom open so he could eavesdrop, “so the court is sending over their appointed animal psychologist to talk to you.  I think she’s going to give you some intelligence test and I need you to score as high as you can. I need you to beat the Hylians.”

“That doesn’t seem particularly difficult,” Ghirahim said, smiling at Sidon.

“I don’t know exactly what it’s going to be- but if she asks you morality questions I need you to give her the answer she wants, not what you actually believe.” Ganondorf continued, “If she asks, for example, if killing or hurting people is wrong- tell her yes.”

“But…” Ghirahim faltered, “Master you want me to…  lie to her?”

“Oh god no, don’t lie, they’ll see through that shit.  No, just… twist the truth around a little bit. As far as she knows, you’ve got the same moral code as those straight-laced Hylians.  Make it work.”

“Are…  is anyone going to be with me?” Ghirahim asked.

“Yeah, I’ll sure as fuck be there.  I don’t trust those cops not to try to manipulate you, catch you up.  I’ll beat her there. I’m leaving in a few minutes, but I have to drive from the desert.  I might get three or four hours of sleep- Sidon’s getting you all up at six so you can go over the whole thing with me before she gets there.”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim said, staring at the television without seeing it as Link quietly came back into the room.

“Did you ever find out where she would be tried?” Ghirahim asked quietly.

“Yeah,” Ganondorf snarled, “I fought tooth and nail.  They’re not gonna try that bitch in Hyrule. Crime happened in Lorule, bitch is getting tried in Lorule.  The judge is Gerudo, but the jury is probably gonna be hella Hylian- I don’t know if I can prevent it.”

“Thank the goddesses,” Ghirahim let out the breath he had been holding.  That was good. Lorulians would be much less sympathetic to Hylia, and would probably be more willing to side with Demise’s family.  His child and grandchild would be there, in their best grieving clothes… this was good news.

“I do, every night,” Ganondorf said solemnly, “This bitch is going down, Ghirahim, one way or another.  You’re the only witness. Do  _ not  _ fuck this up.”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim said.

“Now give the phone back to Sidon, I need to make sure he’ll have everything ready when I get there tonight.

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim leaned over the couch and handed the phone to Sidon, who walked away speaking into it.

“I’ve got the guest rooms all ready for you,” Sidon said before he walked out of the room.

Ghirahim stood as Link sat, almost as if he had been bounced from the action, but with none of the mirth.

“I’m going to go take a long bath and head to bed,” he said quietly, with a far-away look in his eyes, “Watch whatever you want.”

Link nodded, and watched him go.

* * *

 

Link was awake when Ganondorf arrived, and was glad of it.  He had only met the man once, and he suspected that he hadn’t made the best first impression because he was upset over his father’s death.  Unfortunately, his second impression wasn’t much better. He carried himself with an air of danger, so Link chose to linger in the doorway, hiding behind the frame and only sticking out enough of his face to watch Sidon greet him-

Oh.  Greet  _ them _ .

As Ganondorf held open the door, a beautiful woman entered, and Link wondered who she was.  She looked a bit like Ganondorf, with her tall, imposing frame, fiery red hair, and dark skin.  Ganondorf had his hair all corralled into rolls on the top of his head, but this woman wore hers slicked back in a perfect ponytail.  There were no flyaways, no room for error- almost the opposite of the loose braid Sidon always wore. She ran her eyes over Sidon, inspecting him, then said something to Ganondorf in a language that Link didn’t understand that made both of them chuckle.

“Our luggage is in the car, voe,” She said in a thick accent, “I will be shown to my room.  I need to call my wife and let her know I have arrived safely. We have much to do in the morning.”

“You must be Aveil,” Sidon said pleasantly, and extended his hand for her to shake, “the lawyer?  I’ve heard so much about you, all wonderful.”

The woman looked at his hand with a mixture of confusion and disgust, then turned to Ganondorf and spoke again.  Link caught the word ‘voe’, which is what she had called Sidon, and didn’t like the look on her face if she was talking about him.  Ganondorf replied in the same language, looking a bit worse for the wear, and Aveil looked defeated when she turned back to Sidon and finally took his outstretched hand.

“You are Sidon?” She asked, “The bunny handler?  Where is this Ghirahim? Is that him?”

Sidon winced in pain as she shook his hand, and when she released it, he massaged it with the other and pulled it close to his chest.  He followed her eyeline and replied, “Oh. No. That’s Link, my bunny. Link, come here and say hello. This is Aveil, Mr Ganondorf’s personal lawyer.”

Link didn’t really like this lady and didn’t want to meet her.

“I have been working with the prosecutor,” Aveil explained to Sidon impatiently, “I know of this animal researcher, Dr Malon is her name.  She is very punctual. She will be here at noon. We should all rest. I have no need to meet pets.” But her stern face softened to a smile when she actually saw Link, “Oh, but…  he is very cute. You are very cute, Link.”

“They’re all cute,” Ganondorf said, pulling a cigar from some hidden suitcoat pocket and lighting it, “That’s how they get you.  Someone getting our luggage or do I have to do it myself?”

“Oh…  my servants have all gone for the day so…  allow me,” Sidon rushed past them, leaving Link standing alone for the two strangers to stare at.

Aveil turned to Ganondorf and spoke again, and the only word Link knew was ‘voe’.  Whatever it was, she seemed upset about it, but Ganondorf brushed her away with a wave of his hand and turned to Link.

“This one doesn’t like me,” He said with a warm smile.  He held out his hand, “Come here, little guy. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Link recognized his body language- he was trying to look smaller than he was, trying to look non-threatening.  He held out his hand knowing full well that Link could bite it, knowing full well what kind of damage a bunny could do.  He also held still, which made Link think that he knew bunnies didn’t like sudden movement. Link took in all this information, and cautiously, slowly, stepped closer to him, until Ganondorf was able to gently lay his open palm between Link’s ears.  He held it there, scratching gently, instead of pulling away instantly as he had the first time, the day he had brought Ghirahim. Link’s left hand began to itch, so he stuck it behind his back without looking to rub it against his clothes and relieve the sensation.  Ganondorf watched him closely, curiously, scratching gently behind his ears, until Sidon burst back inside with a gust of the cold wind.

“So sorry about that,” Sidon said cheerfully, “I would normally never keep a lady waiting.  It’s the late hour, you see. Please, follow me, I’ll show you to your rooms.”

Link thought it was odd that when Ganondorf took his hand away the itching stopped.  This man was… interesting. Link liked his necklace- he had seen the symbol before, on paintings or buildings, but didn’t know what it meant.  

Sidon led them to the guest rooms, which were on either side of the same hall as Link’s room and the bedroom, trying to keep up pleasant conversation all the while.

“I’ve just had the linens changed, and each ensuite bathroom cleaned,” he explained, “I understand that you wanted to meet for breakfast at six?”

“Ganondorf,” Aveil said instead of answering, “You can deal with this voe, can’t you?”

“Yes,” Ganondorf answered, “Go to bed.  Give everyone my love.”

“Of course.  I will wake you at 5:30.” She said and opened the door to one of the rooms, “Goodnight.  May the goddesses watch over your rest.”

“May the goddesses watch over your rest,” Ganondorf said to her as he took one of the suitcases from Sidon and handed it to her.  She kissed him on the cheek, and then she was gone.

Link thought she was strange.

“So,” Sidon said brightly, “She seems very dedicated.”

“I told her you were a man,” Ganondorf said as if it explained something, “But I still don’t think she was expecting it.”

“Oh,” Sidon said, as confused as Link.  “Well, this is your room.”

Ganondorf walked inside, and with a sigh said, “There’s someone in my bed.”

“That’s Ghirahim,” Sidon explained, as he and Link followed Ganondorf inside.

“Why is he in my bed?” Ganondorf asked, quietly, obviously making an effort not to wake him.

“He’s your bunny,” Sidon arched an eyebrow in confusion.

“That means he’s in my bed?” Ganondorf asked, annoyed.  “Fuck it. Whatever.” He reached up and began to pull the strands of his hair loose, and they flowed down his back.  Link was amazed- he had so much of it, and it was beautiful, and had the kind of body that made it flow out, not directly down.  He had never seen hair so bouncy and beautiful before- and he didn’t realize he had given in to the urge to touch it until Ganondorf, with one hand still taking down a strand, turned quickly, with the other hand raised as if he was going to backhand him.  His eyes widened when he saw who it was, and he smiled, and went back to taking out the rest of the coils.

“That’s fair,” he snickered, “I touched you without permission too, didn’t I, boy?  The first time I was here? Rest assured I’ve learned more about your people- I won’t do it again.”

Link nodded and buried his face in Ganondorf’s hair.  It smelled of something sweet and spicy that he could not place, and it was as light and fluffy as he had imagined.

“Get out of my hair so I can brush it and get ready for bed,” Ganondorf said, and Link let go.  “Breakfast at 6, Sidon?”

“Yes, I understand we have a lot to do tomorrow,” Sidon answered, smiling at Link, thinking of the uncharacteristically good impression he was making.

“And he can pass this test?” Ganondorf asked with a snarl.

“Ghirahim is one of the most intelligent bunnies I have ever met,” Sidon assured him, “I have no doubt he can pass any sort of competency test.”

“And he can testify?” Ganondorf demanded.

“Absolutely.  I believe in him with my entire heart and soul.  He’s improved so much I daresay you won’t recognize him,” Sidon said excitedly.

“I hope so,” Ganondorf looked at Ghirahim asleep on the bed, then at the nightstand, “So…  ashtray?”

“This is actually a smoke free home-” Sidon began, but Ganondorf sighed, opened the bathroom door, and ashed in the sink.

“You can go,” Ganondorf told him, “I’ll see you in the morning.  You might wanna sleep with one eye open. Aveil… well they didn’t start that mandatory sex-ed shit until she was out of school, but she knows the law.  You’re probably fine. Might wanna lock your door, though. You’re kinda cute.”

Sidon had no idea how to respond to that, and stared at Ganondorf for a few seconds, before deciding to completely switch gears, “Well then, I suppose we’ll get out of your hair.  I’ll leave your things here. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

Ganondorf left his cigar balancing on the edge of the sink, knelt on the floor and opened his suitcase.  He took out a bottle of some sort of tincture and walked back into the bathroom. Link watched him pour some sort of oil onto a washcloth and rub it across his face- the cloth came away stained the same color as Ganondorf’s skin, and his face looked different- Link realized he was wearing makeup!  Sidon was wrong, it wasn’t just some silly little thing “it was fine to play dress up” with- humans wore it every day like Ghirahim did! Ganondorf wore it, and he seemed to be an important human!

Link noticed that Ganondorf’s nails were black- and was almost positive that it was polish…  did Ganondorf go to a groomer? Were human groomers a thing? Were humans… it was possible, Link thought, that some humans were as vain as bunnies, that they did the same things.  Zelda had, but he had thought, because of the way Sidon treated those things, that it was perhaps something humans considered childish. But Ganondorf… 

Maybe Link just noticed more things now.

“Why are you staring at me like I’m some sort of spectacle?” Ganondorf asked him, and Link blushed, and ran to hide behind Sidon.

“He’s never seen a Gerudo before,” Sidon explained, choosing his words carefully.

“Right,” Ganondorf said as if he had been insulted, “Well I’m going to change clothes and go to bed.”  He slid off his suit jacket and threw it over the back of a chair by the fireplace. As he unbuttoned the shirt he wore beneath he continued, “So stay for the show or leave, but close the door.”

“Of course,” Sidon smiled politely, “Good night, Mr Dragmire.”

“May the goddesses watch over your rest,” Ganondorf said without looking up.

“Yes,” Sidon agreed and continued, awkwardly, “May the goddesses watch over your rest.”

He tugged Link out with him, and heaved a sigh of relief once he had closed the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is actually supposed to mimic chapters 1&2, with similar events happening, to show how Link's mindset and his responses to things have changed. So it starts out with introspection, moves into movie night and ends with unexpected visitors. Compare this Link to chapter 1 & 2 Link and tell me what you think! I'd love to hear it!
> 
> I didn't mean for that to sound like I was demanding comments, just, if you want to, tell me what you think. Don't feel pressured. I do absolutely love hearing from you guys, though! And I'm hoping my character development is working.
> 
> I've been working my ass off on this story, and I can see the end now. I know I say that a lot, but this time I mean it. I'm going to be straight with you, I might have lied to you all. I don't know if I'll do the multiple ending thing, because I kind of do see one distinctive ending in my head now, and it's one that at least 2 people have requested, which is more than any other ending.
> 
> A new chapter of Emerald Knight should post on my youtube channel today, if the scheduled thing works, but I don't think anyone is listening to it. I'm just posting that here because this is the only place I talk about it. It's still a secret to everybody!
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter, even if the opening was, once again, skimming over stuff that was all individual chapters in my head. It's just so goddamn long, guys.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've heard this story before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has Ghirahim being shown something else that triggers him, and I am really sleepy so I think that's the only thing that needs disclosing. I might be wrong. There's kind of a flashback but like, it's subjective whether or not it should count.
> 
> As always, I want to thank the talented Miss Gillette and suggest everyone head over to check out her work!
> 
> And, also as always, I have a ko-Fi if anyone is interested in that: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Breakfast came only five hours later, and Link was not prepared for it.  He had been forced to realize many things because of the previous night’s events: that Ghirahim had something really important happening today, that all humans were not as he had been led to believe, and, a reality that sat strange in his stomach: that Ghirahim would be leaving soon.

He and Sidon sat at the table until 6:30, Sidon tapping his fork more and more impatiently against his plate, until he finally said, “I can’t imagine what’s keeping them.”

“I’ll check,” Link offered, and before Sidon could object, he was gone.

He could hear Ganondorf’s voice through the walls as he made his way to his room.

“May Farore grant me the courage to accept the things I cannot change,” Ganondorf said, almost as if he was chanting, “May Din grant me the power to change the things I can.  And may Naru grant me the wisdom to know the difference.  
Almighty goddesses, creators, protectors, and caregivers, I humbly ask that you give me the wisdom, power, and courage to show restraint today,” he continued as Link silently opened the door and entered the room.  It smelled like a groomer’s station, and Ganondorf had apparently more or less unpacked. He was more casually dressed, but no less intimidating in his expensive clothes, and the golden medallion stood out more strongly where it fell across his broad chest.  He, Ghirahim, and Aveil stood holding hands, with their heads bowed and eyes closed, and Link had no idea what they were doing- but knew on an instinctual level not to interrupt him.

“I ask, in particular,” Ganondorf continued, and raised Ghirahim’s hand in his skyward, “That Naru, mother of intelligence in all life, grant Ghirahim the wisdom to achieve his goal here today, to show these Hylians the intelligence you have, in your infinite compassion, gifted him with.”

Ganondorf shook Ghirahim’s arm with a gesture meant to convey something, but Link didn’t know what.

“May the way of the hero lead to the triforce,” Ganondorf said.

“May the way of the hero lead to the triforce,” Ghirahim and Aveil repeated.

They all opened their eyes, and Ghirahim rubbed the hand that Ganondorf had apparently squeezed with great strength, but he was jerked back to attention as Ganondorf grabbed his shoulders and crouched to stare into his eyes.

“Naru has blessed you for this task,” Ganondorf explained, “You need to open yourself and let the will of the gods flow through you.  Do you understand?”

Link could only see Ganondorf’s back, but the fear on Ghirahim’s face told him everything he needed to know.  His voice shook a little when he replied, “Yes, master.”

“Do not mess this up,” Ganondorf said in a low growl.

“Hello, little Link,” Aveil said to him, and she seemed much more pleasant than she had been the night before.  She looked just as immaculate, and Link wondered if she woke up looking like that.

He smiled at her, and let her scratch between his ears.  He may have judged her too harshly. He was beginning to think that she, like Ghirahim, might just not like Sidon.  It was a weird thing to think about, because Link largely considered himself an extension of Sidon- Sidon’s bunny. But now he had met two people who liked him, but didn’t like Sidon.  He didn’t really understand how that was possible, but he preferred kindness to cruelty, so he enjoyed the sensation of her long, painted nails against his scalp.

“Good morning, Little Toy,” Ghirahim smiled at him and adjusted his shirt, smoothing out the places where Ganondorf had bunched the fabric at the shoulders.  Link had never seen Ghirahim wear black before, but he thought it looked good on him. He wondered if Mr Ganondorf had brought him more clothes. He was wearing a normal outfit, not a “sexy” one, and…  the difference, the novelty of it, made Link feel a certain kind of way that he could not describe.

“Did Sidon send his little lapdog to hurry us along?” Ghirahim continued.

“Don’t be rude,” Ganondorf told him, and walked into the bathroom to stare into the mirror.

“I can’t be rude to Link.  We’re quite good friends.” Ghirahim argued.

“Tell that man,” Aveil told Link, “That we will be there when we will be there.”

Link nodded, though he didn’t understand the message.  He waved to Ghirahim before he stepped out of the room.

 

It was 7:00 before they actually ate breakfast.

Link and Sidon had already began to cut into their pancakes when Ganondorf extended his hands, and Sidon grabbed Link’s hand and shook and his head.  Link put down his fork and held hands with Ghirahim and Sidon, confused at what was happening, as he watched everyone bow their heads and close their eyes.

“We wish to thank the great goddesses for the nutrition we are about to receive,” Ganondorf said in the same sweet, chant-like voice he had used upstairs, “Farore has created the laws that govern the nature of our land, and gifted us with the dominion to cultivate the creatures we shall consume.  We are thankful for the wisdom, work, and sacrifice that has gone into the preparation of this meal, and will savor it with mindfulness. May the way of the hero lead to the triforce.”

“May the way of the hero lead to the triforce,” Everyone repeated, and Link felt Sidon squeeze his hand.

Mr Ganondorf must thank those people a lot, for everything, and Link wasn’t sure why.  He didn’t know who they were, but he was pretty sure that the cook had made the food for them, and Sidon had bought it, so Mr Ganondorf was thanking the wrong people.  Still, he drenched his pancakes in syrup and began to eat.

Aveil made a face and said something in the language she often spoke that was not Hyrulian, but Ghirahim answered her in Hyrulian to make sure Sidon understood him.

“It doesn’t matter to Sidon how bland it is, he can’t taste properly because he takes his breakfast on a mirror.”

“Just drown it in syrup,” Ganondorf advised as he drenched his pancakes and handed her the bottle.  “And Ghirahim, don’t be so judgemental. If he needs it he needs it. I want him to be alert today. None for you, though.  You might have to take a drug test.”

“I…  hadn’t thought about that,” Ghirahim confessed and slowly sipped the coffee Sidon poured from the press.

“Sidon says that you can testify,” Aveil said as she followed Ganondorf’s advice, though Link could tell that she still didn’t like the food, and he didn’t know why.  Pancakes were delicious!

“I am confident in my abilities,” Ghirahim answered, “I absolutely can.”

He wasn’t eating, and Link watched him take long drinks of the black coffee, and knew that he wasn’t as confident as he thought he was.  Link took his hand and squeezed it under the table.

“That reminds me,” Aveil pulled her briefcase into her lap and dug around in it until she pulled out some papers and something that looked like a name tag, “Link, you are now an emotional support animal.  Sidon, you have crippling anxiety and need Link to accompany you anywhere you go.”

“I…  am afraid I don’t understand,” Sidon said as he took the paper.

“Ganondorf,” Aveil said as if she was close to slapping Sidon.

“Animals aren’t allowed in the courtroom,” Ganondorf explained to Sidon, “So you have crippling anxiety, and Link is an emotional support animal.  That’s how you became a bunny trainer. You saw how important it could be to have a bunny companion.”

“But,” Sidon began, but Ganondorf cut him off.

“You have crippling anxiety,” Ganondorf explained again, with more weight to his words, leaning over the table, “And Link is your emotional support animal.”

“Right,” Sidon agreed, “Link, darling, lean over and let me get this on your collar.”

Link did, and Ghirahim poured himself another cup of coffee.

Ganondorf and Aveil ate quickly, and Ghirahim didn’t eat at all.  Link felt the lead settle in the pit of his stomach, and barely touched his breakfast- and for the first time, Sidon didn’t pressure him.  The tension in the house was thick around them, and weighed on Link like a physical thing. He couldn’t wait for it to be over- but it hung in the air as Sidon led everyone to the sitting room, and Link crawled into his lap as soon as he sat down.

Ghirahim stood before them, as if he was on a stage, primping.  He rolled the sleeves of his black button-up up his forearms, ran a hand over each of his ears, and rested his hands on his hips, counting his breath.

“Where were you on the night of the incident?” Sidon asked him.

“I was at the home of my master, Demise,” Ghirahim replied with a practiced professionalism.  “I never left his side, I was with him all night.”

“Can you tell us what happened on the night in question?” Sidon asked, and Link looked to their guests.  Ganondorf had leaned back into the couch with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, and Aveil had taken out a small notepad and was writing something down.

“Yes.”  Ghirahim took a deep breath.  “We had a dinner guest that evening- Ms Hylia Hyrule.  She had come to ask my master to return some things he still had in his possession that she believed belonged to her- she had left them at the estate when she lived there, during their marriage.  I knew, from the moment she walked in, that she could not be trusted. I have been trained as a support bunny in home and personal defense, and as part of that training I learned to recognize certain signs in people- to look out for danger.  My training is such that, if I spot any of these signs, I am to report them to my master. I did, but he took no precaution.”

“What signs are you trained to look for?” Aveil interrupted.

“A lot of it is body language,” Ghirahim answered, “bunnies are better at non-verbal communication than humans, and as prey animals we are designed to be able to recognize even the smallest signs of behavior that could indicate dangerous intent.  Hylia reeked of manipulation from the moment she entered the house- she knew how to twist language to suit her desires, and she used that manipulative behavior on my master. I knew that she wanted more than the things she said were hers. There was an evil behind her eyes that I cannot exactly explain to a human- but a prey animal knows a predator when he sees one.”

“Continue,” Aveil said as she wrote without looking at the pad.

“During the dinner, my master had a few drinks,” Ghirahim continued, “But he frequently drank, and I knew his tolerance, and he should not have been drunk on what little he consumed.  It is my belief that he was drugged, and I am eager to know if there has been any sort of autopsy-based testing on the subject. He was malleable, easy to manipulate, and she used that to her advantage to lure him to the bedroom with the promise of sex-”

“Were you jealous?” Aveil interrupted, and Ghirahim tilted his head at her.

“Jealous?” He asked, looking genuinely confused.

“Were you jealous that your master was going to have sex with someone else?  Is that why you attacked him?” Aveil asked.

“I WOULD NEVER ATTACK DEMISE!” Ghirahim shrieked, furious, and Link saw the signs that he was about to hit her.

“You said he could testify,” Aveil glared at Sidon.

“He can!” Sidon promised.  “Ghirahim, please calm down.  The attorney is going to-”

“Twist my words,” Ghirahim said, with a hand over the scar on his chest, “Try to make me look like a stupid animal.  Try to make Demise look like a pervert… I have to stay calm… I have to… be rational.”

“If you scream like that on the stand,” Ganondorf had been listening with his eyes closed, and he opened them, but otherwise did not move.  He stared hard into Ghirahim’s soul as he continued, “I will kill you myself. Do you understand?”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim bunched the fabric of his shirt up over his scar.

“What do you do?” Ganondorf asked him.

“Take what they throw at me and remain calm and rational,” Ghirahim took a deep breath.

“So were you jealous?” Ganondorf asked him, “Is that why you killed him?”

“I didn’t kill my master,” Ghirahim said calmly, and Link thought he might cry, “I loved him- I love him still.  I only want him to be happy. I can’t be jealous of anything that would bring him happiness. I was worried that she would hurt him- and she did.”

“What happened when they got to the bedroom?” Aveil asked.

“My master told me that I wasn’t to stay in the room,” Ghirahim answered, “But I was trained to watch over him and stay by his side when I sensed danger- the trainers called it “Intelligent Disobedience”- so instead I sort of hid on a long sofa we had in the bedroom, and he was so distracted that he didn’t try to send me away a second time.  I watched as they went over each of the things she had asked for- and one of them was a sword. It was an antique, a hand-and-a-half blade with a blue hilt.”

“Is this it?” Aveil asked, and held up a phone for Ghirahim to look at.

“Yes,” He said and took a deep breath as his shoulders shook, “That’s it.”

“Go on,” She instructed.

“They did have sex, exactly as she promised,” Ghirahim continued.

“Did that make you angry?” Aveil asked.

“No.  I was hoping that I was wrong about her, that she really did miss him, as she had said.  But, of course, I wasn’t wrong.” Ghirahim answered. “After they were finished, Demise fell asleep- as I said, I think he had been drugged, and I think the sex was a ruse to speed up his metabolism so that he would feel the full effect of the drug.  After she was sure he was asleep, Hylia got up, and made her way to the pile of things she had asked for. She picked up the sword, and walked back to the bed. I’m not sure if she forgot about me… or if she underestimated me.”

Ghirahim fisted his hands at his sides as he continued, “She raised the sword to stab him- and I would not let her kill my master.”

“You attacked her?” Aveil asked.

“Yes.  I couldn’t let her hurt Demise!” Ghirahim was losing his composure again, “I couldn’t let her hurt my master!  I… I failed and… she overpowered me- she had a weapon and I didn’t and some of the blood was mine, and I was on the floor and I could feel my heartbeat in my entire body.”

“You’re doing fine,” Sidon told him, “Deep breaths.”

“She stabbed him so hard I saw the sword come out the bottom of the bed,” Ghirahim grabbed his chest with one hand and his head with the other, “I tried to follow her but I…  I was so weak and… I couldn’t leave Demise… I had to call for help… I don’t remember what I said, I don’t know what happened after that. I… woke up in the veterinary clinic.”

“You don’t remember what you said?” Aveil asked.

“No,” Ghirahim replied, and Aveil held her phone up again.

“ _ 911, what is your emergency? _ ” A voice on the phone said.

“ _ There’s so much blood, _ ” Ghirahim said on the phone, and Link’s ears shot straight up.  It really did know everything! It knew more about Ghirahim than he knew about himself.

“ _ Where are you? _ ” The first voice asked.

“ _ I’ll kill her! _ ” Phone-Ghirahim said instead of replying, “ _ You have to come save Demise so I can kill her!  That bitch hurt him! She hurt him so badly! You have to come here now!  What the hell are we paying you for? _ ”

“ _ I need your location and the nature of the emergency, _ ” the phone-voice explained.

“ _ Everything is wrong, _ ” Phone-Ghirahim explained, “ _ I can’t…  stay awake…  oh god this… there’s a hole… _ ”

“ _ Where are you? _ ” The phone-voice asked.

“ _ The Dragmire estate _ ,” Phone-Ghirahim answered, “ _ I think she tried to kill us. _ ”

“ _ Do you need an ambulance? _ ” The phone-voice asked.  There was a pause. “ _ I need you to stay on the phone with me, ok?  Someone attacked you? Hello? First responders are on their way.  Hello? Are you still there? _ ”

“ _ Master, please, _ ” phone-Ghirahim sobbed, far away as if he wasn’t speaking into the phone anymore, “ _ Please wake up!  I called like you told me!  I don’t understand I can’t… I can’t see…  I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please! _ ”

“ _ Is the person who attacked you still in the house?  Sir? _ ” the phone-voice asked. 

Silence.

“ _ Caller is non-responsive, _ ” the phone-voice said.  “ _ First responders have reached the address. _ ”

Another strange voice said, “ _ Dispatch?  Is dispatch on this line?  This is first response. _ ”

“ _ This is dispatch.” _

_ “Clear the line.” _

There was a godawful shriek that Link recognized as the sound of a bunny screaming.

“ _ Shit, I guess he’s not as out as we thought- holy shit- _ ” another scream, but this time decidedly human.

“ _ No, you can’t take me away! _ ” Phone-Ghirahim shrieked, “ _ I won’t leave him!  I won’t leave him! Get your fucking hands off me!  I’ll kill you if you try to take me from him! Don’t fucking touch me!” _

_ “Holy hell that thing’s strong _ ,” another stranger said, “ _ Sedate him! _ ”

“ _ This is just something to help you sleep, ok? _ ” Another stranger, far away, said.

“ _ DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME, HUMAN! _ ”

“ _ Ow, shit-” _

_ “You’ve lost a lot of blood, we’re trying to help you-” _

_ “Should we even take him in or should we call it?” _

_ “Is he out this time?” _

_ “Take him in, let them call it at the hospital- that’s Demise Dragmire.  I won’t be that messenger.” _

_ “He’s out.  Call in animal control.” _

There was more murmuring in the background, but Aveil turned off the recording, and Ghirahim stared at her in shock.

“Sidon,” he said calmly and held out his hand, “Give me a cigarette.”

Ganondorf handed him a cigar, and Ghirahim bolted for the door, threw it open, and ran outside.

“Hey what the hell!?” Ganondorf stood, and Link lept up to follow Ghirahim.

“He’s fine,” Sidon explained, “I always give him a cigarette as a reward for practicing his testimony, and he smokes it in the fort.”

“Fort?” Ganondorf asked, and walked to the open doorway to see Link scamper inside of a tiny house made out of snow.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are some questionable pedophilia implications in this chapter, but it's kept purposefully ambiguous. A proper summary is simply that Ghirahim prepares to take his competency test.
> 
> And Link... well the character growth we've seen keeps on growing. There may eventually come a time where the pain caused by staying in the bud is greater than the pain of blossoming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm debating releasing this today because I know I'll be out of town tomorrow.
> 
> I want to thank MissGillette, as always! I'm so sorry I ran away with this. I never thought I would get this deep. I'm bad at pacings and endings. :(
> 
> As always, I have a ko-fi if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way: https://ko-fi.com/takocos
> 
> I've gotten into territory that MissG hasn't betaed, so things may be going off-course from the way she imagined bunnies. I'm basing them heavily on sex-trafficking survivors, so Ghirahim's answers, and thus the worldbuilding may be different from what MissG originally intended. If that's the case, I'm really sorry.

“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” 

Link snuggled further into Ghirahim’s lap and took a deep breath of the cloud of smoke he exhaled.  Mr Ganondorf was intimidating at the best of times, but now his voice was a low growl, almost not a voice at all, almost the sound of one the beasts from Sidon’s books.

“You left me here with that lunatic!” Ghirahim accused.

“Get your ass out here, right now!” Ganondorf demanded, “If I have to come in there, I promise that you will regret it.”

“Master, please,” Ghirahim laced the fingers of his free hand through Link’s hair, “Just let me calm my nerves.”

“Ghirahim, I was raised in a fucking desert.  I’m not built for snow and my fat ass won’t fit inside this playhouse or whatever.  If I come in after you I’ll destroy it.” Ganondorf reasoned.

“Are you fat?” Ghirahim seemed genuinely confused, “I thought that was muscle…  you used to be in such good shape…”

“I’ve been stress eating, asshole!” Ganondorf snapped, and Link pulled his face out of Ghirahim’s chest to see him crouching at the entrance to the fort.  He was right- he was much bigger than even Sidon, and if he tried to come inside he would break it apart.

“Master, please,” Ghirahim began, but Ganondorf cut him off.

“Why the hell are you in a playhouse like a child?”

“Because it’s cold out here, and Sidon won’t let me smoke in the house, and my nerves are SHOT!” Ghirahim screamed.

“He won’t?” Ganondorf asked, “You want to fucking bet?”

“I don’t have anything of value to wager,” Ghirahim said sadly, but Ganondorf didn’t hear him because he had stood, and when he screamed, Link thought his heart would escape his chest.

“SIDON!”

“You should come back inside,” Sidon’s voice was farther away, probably on the veranda, “If you think you can get him to come out of there before he’s ready, I have some news for you.”

“I have some news for you, voe!” Ganondorf snapped, and Link wondered what that word meant, “We have three hours until this bunny whisperer or whatever-the-fuck arrives here, and nothing you have shown me has impressed me!  You are going to get him out here, and he is going to start acting like he has some sense!” There was a sound of metal scraping that Link didn’t recognize, but Ghirahim apparently did, because he shoved Link off of his lap and scampered toward the door, blocking most of Link’s view of the outside world.  “Now!”

“For the love of all three goddesses,” Ghirahim grabbed at the leg of Ganondorf’s pants, “Do it!”

Link watched as best he could as Ganondorf bent down and grabbed Ghirahim by the forearm, and jerked him to his feet.  He crawled outside as fast as he could, and watched Sidon standing with both his hands in the air as if he had been doing stretches and was just finishing up.  Mr Ganondorf was sliding something back into the inside pocket of his jacket with one hand, and shaking Ghirahim with the other. He leaned in close and spoke quietly.

“No more screaming.  No more freaking out.  No more losing your cool.  You. Will. Get. Your. Shit.  Together. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, master.  I’m sorry! I… I hadn’t heard…”

“I don’t care.”

Ghirahim nodded and stumbled a little when Ganondorf threw him backwards.  Sidon had taken the necklace he always wore out from where it always seemed to fall, under his shirt, and he jumped when Ganondorf spoke to him.

“Hey, Hylian, you got a cup you don’t care about?”

“I’m…  that is,” Sidon’s eyes darted to the place on Ganondorf’s jacket where the pocket would be before he swallowed and continued, “I’m sure I’ll find something.”

“Yeah,” Ganondorf agreed, “You find something.”

“Master, I’m…  nervous.” Ghirahim confessed as Sidon turned to head back inside.

“Me too,” Ganondorf glared at him, “I thought you’d be better than this.  I didn’t think I had to worry about this. Or… I did, but I hoped I was wrong.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t second-guess your instincts, master.” Ghirahim straightened out his shirt where Ganondorf had grabbed it, and spotted Link still crouching in the entrance way of the fort.  He made a disgusted face and continued, “Ugh. Don’t look at me like that, Little Toy, I’m fine. He’s not going to hurt me. I haven’t crossed him and I don’t intend to.”

“He’s scared of me,” Ganondorf mused.

“Goddamn right, he should be scared of you,” Ghirahim huffed, “He’s decently good in a fight, for an untrained little shelter toy, but you could break him without trying.”

Ganondorf made a noncommittal noise and stared hard at Link, who gazed back at him, wondering why Sidon had acted afraid of him.  He and his lawyer had been rude to Sidon since they arrived. He didn’t realize he had been glaring until he heard Mr Ganondorf speak again.

“I’m not so sure,” He said quietly, “He seems like a scrapper.  I bet he’d surprize you.”

Link tried to wipe the angry expression off of his face.  He didn’t understand why these people were so mean to Sidon!

“You don’t talk, boy?” Ganondorf asked once Link had stood up.

Link stared at him.

“Something wrong with him or is he just quiet?” Ganondorf asked Ghirahim.

“Just rude, I expect,” Ghirahim answered, “He doesn’t take well to new people.  Probably because his circle of friends is… shoddy.”

“Don’t be a dick.” Ganondorf warned.

“His only other friend is Ravio,” Ghirahim put one hand on his hip and ran the other through his hair.

“Oh my god that thing has been at my house,” Ganondorf threw his head back in exasperation.

“Good god,” Ghirahim’s eyes opened in alarm, “Why?”

“Because Yuga’s little girlfriend brought him with her,” Ganondorf snarled, lighting another cigar, “Let’s have this conversation inside.  I’m freezing my nuts off out here.”

“Master, I’m sorry I upset you,” Ghirahim said with great sincerity, “Sidon makes me come outside to smoke after I practice my testimony, and I suppose now I’ve come to expect it.”

“That’s stupid,” Ganondorf turned his back on them and began walking back towards the house.

“I can’t help that,” Ghirahim reminded him, “You told me to follow his commands.”

“I’m going to be the one who has to kill that little shit,” Ganondorf snarled in a manner that Link thought was only half-joking.

“Stop it!” Link shouted, and both Ghirahim and Ganondorf paused.

Ganondorf slowly turned to face him.

“What?”

“Stop…  being mean to Sidon!” Link demanded, standing to his full, unimpressive height.  He would barely reach the center of Ganondorf’s torso in his tallest heels.

Ganondorf chuckled and stepped toward him until they were close enough to touch.  He stuck both hands in his pockets and looked down at Link’s adorable, determined face, contorted into an expression of anger.  He stared at him, hard, for a few long seconds- and when he seemed satisfied that Link wasn’t going to look away, he smiled. It was only a little half-smile, but it was genuine, and his face seemed warmer, more friendly, when he wore it.

“You know, boy,” He said, “You catch more flies with honey.  Maybe next time you want somebody to do something for you, don’t be such a bitch about it.”

He turned on his heel and walked back inside.  Link felt an overpowering rage that his logical mind identified as an overreaction to the few snide remarks- but something about the buildup, the tension, and then the absolute brush-off was worse than the screaming and fighting that he had endured with Ghirahim and Sidon.  He didn’t know how to classify it- no one had ever treated him like that before. He jerked his head in the direction he heard the sound of laughter coming from, and caught Ghirahim giggling at him.

“Ghirahim!” Ganondorf yelled from inside, “Get your ass in here!  And bring your bitchy little friend before he freezes to death!”

“Come along, bitchy little friend,” Ghirahim giggled, and there was a bounce in his step as he walked back inside.  Link thought that there must be something about these people that he wasn’t properly understanding.

 

Link liked the way that the sitting room smelled, but apparently Sidon did not, because he was walking around lighting a variety of scented candles when Link entered.  Ganondorf leaned forward and ashed his cigar into a tea cup, and motioned for Ghirahim to come and sit next to him.

“Just a little snag,” Sidon said pleasantly as he sat next to them, and opened his arms to allow Link to crawl into his lap.

“Right,” Ganondorf said, and opened his cigar case to hold it out towards Ghirahim.  Ghirahim selected one, and Ganondorf tossed a lighter at him.

“I’m going to run over some practice questions with you,” Aveil said, as if nothing had happened.

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” Ghirahim replied, “I’m ready for anything.”

“Thank you, Whaylon.” Sidon said, sounding more thrilled than Ghirahim as his servant sat a tea tray down in from of them.  He was used to maneuvering with Link on his lap, and poured himself a cup, then busied his shaking hands with preparing it. Link tried to make himself as small as he could, tried his best to stay out of the way.  Part of him wished that these people would just leave- Sidon didn’t like them, and that meant that Link didn’t either. Sidon fumbled with his necklace to dust some of the sugar into his tea as Aveil spoke.

“What is your name?” Aveil asked Ghirahim.

“Lord Ghirahim of the house Dragmire,” Ghirahim replied with an undeserved air of arrogance.

“How old are you?” Aveil asked, and Ghirahim blinked.

“I…  don’t know,” he leaned forward to ash his cigar.

“You don’t know?” Ganondorf asked as if he didn’t believe him.

“I…  never really thought about it.” Ghirahim admitted, “Is that important?”

“How old do you think someone has to be before it’s ok to have sex with them?” Ganondorf asked as if he was sincerely interested.

“I…  don’t know?” Ghirahim said again, with his arrogance quickly fading.

“Sidon!” Ganondorf barked.

“Is this relevant?” Sidon asked, in shock, “Are they going to ask him anything like that?”

“By the goddesses,” Ganondorf massaged his temples with one hand, “Ok, so, he got you right after his divorce from Hylia…  Yuga was in preschool… He’s 24 now… You’re twenty.”

“Alright,” Ghirahim shrugged as if the information meant nothing to him.

“You never had sex before you were 18, ok?” Ganondorf explained, staring directly into Ghirahim’s eyes.

“I…  don’t think that’s right.” Ghirahim said, in thought, “That would only be two years…  that doesn’t seem…”

“You never had sex before you were 18.” Ganondorf said again, and the way he said it seemed to make it true.

“Alright,” Ghirahim said again, in almost the same tone and inflection, “That may very well be true.  I’m not very good with time…”

Link nodded.  He wasn’t either, and he suspected that most bunnies weren’t.  Time seemed to be a mostly human invention- they liked to keep track of things, and they made plans that forced them to remember when things happened.  Bunnies didn’t do that, and the concept seemed rather pointless to him- he suspected it seemed pointless to Ghirahim as well, because he obviously didn’t understand, any better than Link did, why the humans thought it was important.

“How long do bunnies live?” Ghirahim asked, as if he had just realized some great truth.

“Focus,” Ganondorf reminded him.

“How old were you when you went to live with Demise?” Aveil asked him.

“I was bred for Demise.  I don’t remember a time without him.” Ghirahim explained, “But I know that I did have to go back to the breeding center for training, and I hated it.  I didn’t like being away from him.”

“I remember that,” Ganondorf said, tapping the ashes from his cigar, “I would say, full time…  he stayed in the house full time around… four or five? Right?”

“I don’t understand that sentence,” Ghirahim said, and Link didn’t like his body language.  Ghirahim wasn’t supposed to be like this. He was always confident, arrogant- but these people were making him feel stupid.  He crawled out of Sidon’s lap and snuggled up with him.

“Four or five years old,” Ganondorf explained with quickly dissipating patience.

“Oh,” Ghirahim said, wrapped an arm around Link as he crawled into his lap, and shrugged, “Well, that might as well be right.”

“Din’s glowing eyes,” Ganondorf snarled, “We have to get our story straight!  We’ll say five. You were five years old when you came to stay with Demise full time.”

“Alright,” Ghirahim said, shrinking back a little from him.

“So how old were you when you came to live with Demise, full time?” Ganondorf asked.

“Five years old,” Ghirahim said as if it were perfectly true and had never been in question.

“And when did you start having sex with him?” Ganondorf asked.

“13 years later, when I was 18,” Ghirahim said, then amended, “Master, that can’t possibly be…  that’s so much time.”

“Ghirahim!” Ganondorf snapped.

“When I was 18 years old,” Ghirahim said with perfect confidence.

“Good.” Ganondorf snuffed out his cigar and lit another, “Good goddamn, this should not be this hard.”

“I’m sorry, master,” Ghirahim buried his face in Link’s hair.

“Ghirahim,” Aveil asked, “Do you think it is wrong to kill someone?”

“I think it was wrong to kill Demise,” Ghirahim grabbed Link tighter, “He was so good to me, and to you,” he said to Ganondorf, “The world is worse off because he isn’t in it.”

“That was a decent dodge,” Ganondorf leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms again, “But they’ll see through it.  Shit. We are not ready for this.”

“I can do it, master!” Ghirahim pleaded, and to Aveil he said, “I think it is wrong to kill most people, but there are special cases, like Hylia, where I think there can be exceptions.  Sometimes, the world is worse off because certain people are in it- for example, Hylia could very well hurt other people the way she hurt us- when she killed Demise, she didn’t just hurt him, she hurt everyone who loved him.”

“That was better,” Ganondorf took a long draw, “That was much better.”

Ghirahim’s hands were shaking, and Link considered asking him, later, when they were alone, maybe if they were in the fort again, if he could have a puff of his cigarette.

“Thank you, master,” Ghirahim blew out a cloud of smoke, and gently scratched between Link’s ears.

“Does he have to sit in your fucking lap?” Ganondorf asked.

“I don’t control him,” Ghirahim shrugged, and Link stuck out his tongue at Ganondorf.  He expected some sort of angry reaction at his defiance, but Ganondorf merely arched one red eyebrow and took another drag of his cigar.

“We might not be completely fucked,” Ganondorf mused, “What time is it?”

“We have half an hour,” Aveil said without looking up from her notes, “I suggest, Ganondorf, that we begin to prepare ourselves for the possibility that this trial may not go well.”

“I am prepared,” Ganondorf leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees with his hands clasped between them.  “I can’t figure out why the hell he didn’t have a goddamn camera in that bedroom. He had cameras everywhere.”

“Not everywhere,” Ghirahim said, “There were all kinds of places on the estate that weren’t recorded.”

Ganondorf turned toward him and stared at him with interest.

“You know the sort of things that went on there,” Ghirahim shrugged, “Some of it certainly didn’t need to be recorded.”

“What else do we need to go over?” Ganondorf asked Aveil without looking at her.

“I’m fairly confident he can pass a basic general knowledge exam,” She said, looking over her notes.  “Lorule is fairly religious, I suppose we could go over that, but he probably knows that as well… I think morality is going to be the weak link.  Those Hylians are obsessed with what they call rape- let’s cover that.”

“I know that,” Ghirahim glared at Sidon.

“So when is it acceptable to have sex with a voe?” Aveil asked.

“When they are at least 18 years old,” Ghirahim answered, and Ganondorf smiled at how quickly he learned, “And consent to the act.”

“Well he’s got that,” She said, flipping through more notes, “How old are you?”

“I am twenty years old,” Ghirahim answered instantly.

“How old were you when you came to live with Demise?” She asked.

“I was bred for Demise, but I began to stay with him full-time when I was five years old.” Ghirahim answered.

“How old were you when you began to have sex with him?” She asked.

“I was eighteen years old,” Ghirahim answered.

“Do you think it is wrong to kill someone?” She asked.

“Most of the time it’s a bit of an overreaction,” Ghirahim answered, and Ganondorf giggled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is supposed to shed a little more light on those flashbacks- you know, the ones where Ghirahim thought he was happy. He has no idea how old he was for any of that; no idea that he's been used. He's just as brainwashed as Link- but unlike Link, he has the critical thinking skills to see it, if he can break through the wall of denial. He fights the double think- says over and over that he doesn't think Ganondorf is right about his timeline and asks questions that are important to him- like how long a bunny's lifespan actually is.
> 
> It doesn't escape his notice that no one gives him an answer.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The only thing more boring than taking a test is watching someone else take a test.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long week, guys. I'm half asleep right now so my notes are gonna be short and sweet. I'll level with you and let you know that I've not written an ending this week like I wanted to because I have been swamped in meatspace. I've just not had time to do anything.
> 
> As always, I wanna thank Miss Gillette, and remind everyone to check out all her work!
> 
> Also as always, I have a ko-fi if anyone wants to throw me a couple of bucks: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

“You’re going to do fine,” Ganondorf assured Ghirahim, crouching to smooth out his clothes, “I have faith.”

“You have faith in me…” Ghirahim said more to himself than to Ganondorf.

“Just stay on your toes.  Don’t let her corner you. I don’t know if she’ll let me stay in the room with you.” Ganondorf stood and ran his fingers nervously over the medallion resting on his chest.

“She probably won’t,” Aveil explained, “If anything, a neutral third party would be allowed inside, but I doubt that.  Certainly not his owner.”

Link hugged Ghirahim, careful not to mess up his clothes, and whispered in his ear, “You’ll do great!  You can pass any test! You’re the smartest bunny I know!”

“That bar isn’t exactly set very high, Little Toy, now is it?” Ghirahim huffed.

“Sir,” Mr Whaylon entered, followed by a Hylian woman who seemed much more friendly than Link had expected, “Dr Malon has arrived.”

“Thank you,” Sidon stood and extended his hand, “Dr Malon, a pleasure to meet you.  I’m Sidon. I’m the neutral third party who has been assigned to care for Ghirahim.”

“You’re the bunny trainer?” She asked as she shook it, “How is he?  I can’t imagine the trauma the poor thing has had to endure.”

“It’s been a long road, but I’m incredibly proud of the progress he’s made.” Sidon smiled at Ghirahim, and Ghirahim did his best to mask the ever-present hate he felt in his presence.

“And you must be the owner?” She said to Ganondorf.

“I am,” Ganondorf took her hand and gently kissed the back, “Ganondorf Dragmire.  I must admit that I am dreading this day, and this whole… sordid affair. I can’t wait to have this trial over and done with.”

“These things are never fun,” She said, and put her other hand over his, “I am so sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” Ganondorf smiled at her, “This is my attorney, Aveil.  I hope that is alright? I’ve become rather skittish of legal matters.”

“Good day,” Aveil smiled and Link was amazed at the difference- she was much more friendly toward this stranger than she had been to Sidon.  He didn’t see anything about this lady that was so special. There was certainly nothing she did in the ten seconds he had known her to make him think she was better than Sidon.

Aveil mimicked Ganondorf, kissing the back of the doctor’s hand instead of shaking it, and Link thought it must be some sort of human thing that he wasn’t familiar with.  He was beginning to wonder if there weren’t different kinds of humans.

When Dr Malon turned her attention to Ghirahim, he bowed, raised his head, and kissed the back of her hand.  “I am Lord Ghirahim of the house Dragmire,” he said, “I’ve been quite excited to meet you.”

“You are so cute!” She said, and Ghirahim smiled at her.

“I pride myself on my appearance, but I know that you’re only being kind.” He ran his hand over his damaged ear, “Still, I appreciate the sentiment.”

“You poor thing,” She said, and Link was amazed that she didn’t try to touch it.  She seemed to know more about the way that bunnies thought than a lot of humans. She hadn’t tried to touch him either, or call attention to him.  She seemed to know that they preferred to make the first moves, and was willing to patiently wait it out.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” Sidon asked.

“Actually, I would like a quiet room free of distractions,” Dr Malon said to him, “Lord Ghirahim, the report said that you were dangerous, but I have a difficult time believing that.”

“I was trained to protect my master,” Ghirahim said sadly, “I’m a cuddlebunny and companion.  I strongly dislike that simply following my training has branded me as a dangerous animal. I am not some wild creature, and I hate being treated as such…  it makes me feel as if I’ve done something wrong.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked.

“I have spoken about it, at length, with my trainer,” Ghirahim assured her, “And I did not particularly want to.”

“He isn’t dangerous,” Sidon promised, “The attack on Hylia is the only registered complaint against him, and we both know that was a special circumstance.  He’s incredibly well behaved otherwise, and in that instance, he was protecting his master. You’ll be perfectly safe, but I can accompany you if you would like.”

Link didn’t know that he would call Ghirahim “perfectly safe” and he definitely wouldn’t call him “well behaved”, and he knew Sidon wouldn’t either.  Sidon was lying!

“You’re welcome to be in the room, if you like,” Dr Malon smiled at him, “But I really would like to get started, if that’s alright with you.”

“Absolutely,” Sidon smiled back and held out an arm to indicate they should follow him, “Right this way.  We can do it in my study.” He looked at Ganondorf as if the information would mean something to him, then turned to lead Dr Malon and Ghirahim away.

Ganondorf waited until he heard the door upstairs open, then he and Aveil made a break for the sofa, and Ganondorf threw the computer open.  

“I think it is camera 5,” Aveil told him, and Ganondorf nodded.

Link leaned over the back of the couch to watch with them as Ganondorf pulled up the video feed.  The study was the room where Sidon kept most of his human books, but it also had a comfortable little sitting area to lounge and read, along with a desk that Link had never seen him use.  He sat there now, though, at Dr Malon’s instruction, and she motioned for Ghirahim to take a seat on the sofa, while she took a chair across from him.

“Is there no sound?” Aveil asked.

“There better be,” Ganondorf lit another cigar, “That bastard had better not have cheaped out on us.”

“Let me see it,” She said and took the computer from him.

“Comfortable,” Dr Malon’s voice crackled and was muffled among the white noise of sub-par, built in microphones, “I’m just going to ask you a few questions, and we’ll see how it goes from there, alright?”

“Everyone shut the hell up,” Ganondorf said, and leaned in closer.

“Delightful,” Ghirahim said pleasantly, “Sidon, did you say something about tea?”

“Dr Malon, would you like anything?” Sidon asked.

“That would be nice,” She answered, and turned her attention back to Ghirahim, “I’m going to set this here, alright?  That way you can see that it’s recording our conversation.” She sat a small rectangle on the coffee table as Sidon stood, went into the hallway, and closed the door behind him.  They could hear him calling for Mr Whaylon, not on the feed, but from upstairs. Link wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“What is your name, sweety?” Dr Malon asked.

“I am Ghirahim,” Ghirahim replied with his trademark arrogance, “Though I prefer my full title, Lord Ghirahim of the house Dragmire.”

“Are you a specialty breed then?” She asked with interest.

“I am,” Ghirahim replied, “I’m told that I was engineered, bred to perfection.”

“Well,” She was the only human Link had ever seen who treated Ghirahim the way he seemed to expect to be treated, “You certainly look it.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you know how old you are?” She asked.

“I’m twenty years old,” Ghirahim looked up as Sidon came back into the room.

“He’s doing well,” Aveil said, and Ganondorf shussed her, and grabbed the tea cup he had been using as an ashtray from the table to hold in his lap so he wouldn’t have to look away from the screen to ash.

“Here we are,” Sidon sat the tray on the coffee table, and went about pouring the tea.  Dr Malon waited patiently for him to finish, accepted her cup with grace, and thanked him.

“Thank you, Mr Ruta,” She said, and waited for him to take his cup and sit back at the desk, before she continued, “Lord Ghirahim, can you tell me more about yourself?”

“In what sense?” Ghirahim asked as he sipped from his cup.

“Can you tell me what kind of animal you are?” She said.

“Oh- yes,” he looked at the recorder, “I’m a bunny.”

“Were you trained to be a companion to humans?” She asked.

“Yes.” He took another sip.

“Can you tell me what kind of companion and the type of training you received?” She asked.

“Oh- yes, I was designed for Demise in a breeding center in Lorule,” Ghirahim explained, “I was trained to be a cuddlebunny.”

“Did you like it?” She asked.

“The training?” Ghirahim stopped to think, “I liked it well enough, I suppose, but I didn’t like being away from my master.  We bonded so quickly- I couldn’t wait to get back to him.”

“Who was your master?” She asked.

“Demise Dragmire,” Ghirahim said, and Link wished the feed were clearer so he could see his face.  Sometimes when Ghirahim talked about Demise he was happy, but his body language told Link it was one of the other times, the times where Ghirahim had to remember that he was never going to see him again.

“Where is he now?” Dr Malon asked.

“I am told,” Ghirahim took a deep breath, “That he is dead.”

“Are you alright?” She asked with genuine concern.

“Not…  not really,” Ghirahim had set the tea back on the table and was wiping under his eyes, “But I…  I’ve worked very hard to… to be able to… accept…”

“It’s alright,” she said, and reached into her bag.  She came up with a box of tissues and offered them to Ghirahim, who took one and dotted under his eyes with it.

“He’s selling the hell out of this,” Aveil smiled, but Ganondorf said nothing.

“I’m so sorry, Lord Ghirahim,” She said, and looked as if she meant it, “We don’t need to discuss it, but you do know that you will have to talk about it if you’re called as a witness, don’t you?”

“Yes,” he sighed, “It’s been explained to me.  I’m sorry, I… I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it.”

“Let’s talk about something else, alright?” She was still leaning forward, and Ghirahim nodded.

“Do you know how to read?” She asked.

“Yes,” Ghirahim replied, leaning back and taking another sip of his tea.

“Was that part of your training at the breeding center?”

“No,” Ghirahim shook his head, “No, what I remember of that was mostly behavior, etiquette, that sort of thing.  It was more practical than intelectual.”

“How did you learn to read?” She asked.

“Demise taught me,” Ghirahim smiled, “He used to read to me, when I was a child.  And I just sort of… picked it up. He taught me all kinds of things. He used to say that I was intelligent, but part of me believes that all masters say that to their bunnies.”

“Well,” She smiled at him, “You certainly seem smart to me.  Are you alright? Do you think you’re too upset to read some things for me?”

“No, I can do it,” Ghirahim said with conviction.

“Can you write, as well?” She asked.

“I’m no Mudora,” Ghirahim chuckled, “But I can try it.”

“Shit,” Ganondorf said as if he had just thought of something, “What if they think he’s  _ too _ smart?  These Hylians hate it when people are smarter than they want them to be.”

“It is too late to concern ourselves,” Aveil said.

“Alright,” Dr Malon took out a bunch of papers and looked through them, decided on the packet she wanted, and handed it to Ghirahim, “I need you to read this and write down the answers to the questions in the spaces provided, alright?  You take as much time as you need, and I’ll be right here if you have any questions.”

“Right,” Ghirahim said, looking over the cover sheet, “Sidon, could I have that desk, please?”

Link thought that was the most polite he had ever been to Sidon, and he smiled.

“Of course,” Sidon stood and pulled out the chair for him, then clicked on the lamp that was attached to the desk.  Ghirahim sat- and suddenly the movie grew very boring.

Dr Malon glanced at Ghirahim, who sat hunched over the desk, while Sidon sat across from her.  After a few minutes, he got up and took a book from the shelves, then sat back down. No one spoke, or moved very much, and Link began to grow restless.  He walked around the sitting room and looked at Ganondorf and Aveil, who still had their eyes glued to the feed, as if it was worth watching, so he walked back around to the back of the couch- to see that nothing had changed.

Link didn’t understand humans.

Eventually, he reached a point where he could no longer stand the dullness, and went to sit on the chair, where he could see his guests if he needed to, but he took out his new phone and opened one of the games Sidon had put on it for him.  The object of the game was to stack differently shaped blocks so that they would form complete horizontal lines, and the lines, when perfectly formed, would disappear. It got faster and faster as it went, and Link kept the sound off so he wouldn’t interrupt what was apparently a fascinating movie.

“He’s going through those pages pretty fast,” Ganondorf said, and his voice was so unexpected that Link jumped.

“He’s either doing very well or very poorly,” Aveil agreed, “But he seems intelligent, and it’s probably quite basic.  I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”

“Dr Malon,” Ghirahim said, and Link got up to see what would happen, but it was nothing much.  Ghirahim had just turned around in his seat and held the packet out, “I’m finished.”

“Are you sure?” She asked in a chipper voice, “If you want to take some more time, you can.”

Ghirahim looked for all the world as if he was going to make some sort of smart-ass remark, but he steeled himself, took a deep breath, and said, “I think I’m fine, thank you.”

Link was proud of him.

“Alright,” She stood, picked up her phone and her briefcase, “You’ve done very well, Lord Ghirahim,” She assured him, “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

Ghirahim stood and handed her the packet of papers, “It was nice to meet you, as well.  I wish it had been under better circumstances.” 

“Are we finished then?” Sidon asked, “That went by so quickly.”

“That’s all I need,” Dr Malon explained as Sidon held the door open for her, “I’ll let you know the results as soon as I can.  I’ll send a message to Mr Dragmire.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Sidon said from the hallway, and the last thing Link saw on the surveillance feed was Ghirahim glaring at the camera as if he had been terribly insulted.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to smack you in the feels with this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been another crazy week guys. I haven't even had a chance to look at this chapter until today, but I hope you like it!
> 
> As always, I want to thank MissGillette, and ask that everyone go check out her work! She created this AU and let me write in it, and I know I've stretched and destroyed it. She's an amazing writer. Check her out! Her work is linked at the beginning of this one!
> 
> Also as always, I have a ko-fi if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way: https://ko-fi.com/takocos
> 
> Update: For some reason, this chapter posted like 3 times? Idk why but I fixed it.

“I’m so proud of you, Ghirahim!” Sidon proclaimed as he came back into the sitting room, “You were a perfect gentleman.”

“Sidon, go fuck yourself!” Ghirahim snapped, and took a long draw of his cigar, “That bitch- how goddamn stupid do these people think I am!?  ‘Do you know your name’? ‘Can you read’?- and you should have seen the things in the written exam- does she think I’m four fucking years old? Ugh- and the morality questions- I could see right through them!  Only an idiot would fall for their ruse!”

“Don’t be a bitch,” Ganondorf warned, “I’m proud of you too.  You watched your mouth. I need you to do that in court.”

“Thank you, master,” Ghirahim said, “Sidon, I suppose I shouldn’t snap at you for your praise, but your approval means nothing to me and the sound of your voice makes me angry,” he put both hands to the sides of his head and rubbed, “Instantly.”

Link smacked him in the arm and Ghirahim blew smoke in his face.

“Shut up, Ghirahim,” Ganondorf warned, and Ghirahim stared into the fire, “And go pack your things.”

“Pack?” Ghirahim asked, took a second to process the command, and asked, “Why?”

“Because I heard you testify.  You did well, so Sidon has done everything he needs to do, and I can get you the hell out of here.  So go get your shit and let’s leave.” Ganondorf explained, and Ghirahim stared at him as if he still didn’t understand.

“Are you stupid?  You kept calling me, saying to come and get you.  I’ve come to get you. Go get your shit. I’m not dragging you out of another house kicking and screaming.  If you’re not ready to go by the time I am, I’ll leave your ass here.” Ganondorf stood, but he stumbled as Ghirahim lept into his arms.

“Oh, master!” He cried, “You do care about me!  Thank you! Thank you so much!”

Ganondorf looked as if he had no idea how to respond to the situation, and glanced at Aveil, who shrugged.  So he wrapped his arms around Ghirahim, to avoid dropping him, then gently lowered him and pried his hands from around his neck.

“Go on, little bunny,” he said, more quietly, “Go say goodbye to your little friend.”

“Oh,” Ghirahim said, and turned to look at Link.

“Link,” Sidon suggested, “Why don’t you go help Ghirahim pack up his things?”

Link nodded, took Ghirahim by the hand, and tugged him up the stairs.

“Oh, Little Toy,” Ghirahim said softly, “How I hate to leave you.”

He opened the door to Sidon’s room and sat on the floor by his suitcase.

Link watched him sitting there, just holding it and staring at it without seeing it, for some time before he spoke.

“I don’t want you to go,” Link admitted, “I’ll miss you.”

“Well,” Ghirahim stood, and took Link’s hand again to pull him with him, down the hall to his bathroom so he could pack up his make-up, “I promise that this parting will not last long.  We’ll see each other again.” He piled his makeup into the bag he had ordered with it, and his ears shot straight up as if he had just had a brilliant thought, “Link! Pack a suitcase! Come with me!”

Link shook his head.  “I can’t run away, Ghirahim, I told you, I love Sidon.”

“No…  you idiot, no,” Ghirahim shook his head, “not to run away, to visit.  Come to my house. Sidon has a driver and Hilda is already there! My master is pleased with me right now; I don’t think he would refuse this request.”

“I don’t know if Sidon will want to do that,” Link frowned, “Mr Ganondorf doesn’t like him very much.”

“Quite frankly,” Ghirahim smirked, “I don’t give one fifth of a fuck what Sidon wants.  I’m amazed that you would think I would.”

“Ghirahim,” Link pouted.  “Mr Ganondorf is scary.”

“God, I know,” Ghirahim let out a dreamy sigh, “He’s so big, and imposing, and most of it is muscle…  he looks so much like Demise. Get me some rope and a pickaxe, because I’m going to climb that like a mountain.  And have you seen his hair?”

“...ok I actually like his hair,” Link admitted, “I wanna climb inside it and curl up.”

“Literally where I’ll be sleeping tonight,” Ghirahim smiled as he rolled up the chord to his hair straightener, “Come on, Little Toy, come with me.  Sidon won’t say no in front of my master. As you’ve already said, he fears him. Maybe I can pull some strings and get you some real dick.”

“I’ll try,” Link said, “Let me ask him.”

“No, I have a better idea,” Ghirahim smiled, and tugged Link by the arm again to pull him into Ganondorf’s room.

It was far more disheveled than Link had expected- Mr Ganondorf had really made himself at home, and Link didn’t know how he was going to fit all of his things back in his suitcase, which was open on the bed surrounded by trinkets and clothes.

“Aveil!” Ganondorf yelled from the bathroom, “Did you take my coconut oil?  It’s fine if you did I just want to know where it is!”

“I already packed it!” She yelled back.

“What about my Madam Coutoure pallet?” He yelled, and when there was no response he yelled again, “AVEIL!?”

“Master?” Ghirahim asked.

“You ready to go?” Ganondorf asked him, and came out of the bathroom with a similar bag to the one Ghirahim was carrying, “Ghirahim, look for a Madam Coutoure winter collection pallet.  About this big, purple, you know what they look like.”

“Aveil stole it,” Ghirahim said matter-of-factly, “master, can I ask a favor of you?”

“You can ask anything you like,” Ganondorf said as he stacked the things inside his suitcase, “that’s how language works.  Doesn’t mean it’ll happen.”

“Can Link come with me?” Ghirahim asked, “I’d like to-”

“Ghirahim if I have to look at that voe for a five hour car trip we both know I’ll slit his throat.” Ganondorf interrupted.

Link glared at him, but Mr Ganondorf didn’t notice him, so he tugged on his sleeve, and his hand began to itch again.  Maybe he was allergic to something Mr Ganondorf wore- he seemed to have all kinds of exotic creams and perfumes.

“What?” Ganondorf asked him, “Oh, right, you like him.  Listen kid, you’re cute, but your master aggravates the living shit out of me.”  Ganondorf paused to scratch the back of his right hand, then went back to packing.

“Master, please?” Ghirahim asked again, “I’ve done everything you asked of me.”

Ganondorf paused, in the middle of the act of closing the suitcase, and looked down at them.  He stared at them for a long while, and his eyes lingered on their hands, still linked together.

“For fuck’s sake,” he said at length, and wrapped a hand around the medallion draped around his neck, “Din, give me the power to control my temper.”  He looked down at Ghirahim and continued, “You keep him out of my hair- he can hang out with his little friends in your room or something, away from me unless I need him.”

“Thank you so much, master!” Ghirahim threw his arms around him, and Ganondorf rolled his eyes.

“Let’s have less of that,” he said as he pried Ghirahim away.  He turned to yell out the open door and into the hall- “SIDON!”

Sidon appeared in the doorway a few minutes later with a smile on his face and a glass of wine in his hand, “Yes, Mr Dragmire?  Do you need me to help you carry something to the car for you? Let me call my servant-”

“Pack your shit, you’re coming with us.” Ganondorf said.

“I’m…  sorry?” Sidon asked.

“Or I can just take Link,” Ganondorf shrugged, and clasped the suitcase together.

“Excuse me?” Sidon said in a voice that Link had not heard him use since Mr Ganondorf arrived.

“Ghirahim wants to bring him for a visit,” Ganondorf shrugged, “And I’m ready, so let’s pick up the pace.”  He nudged Link, and Link looked up at him.

“We’re not doing that,” Sidon said, with his eyes narrowed at Link and Ghirahim, “Link, darling, come here.  Now.”

Ganondorf arched an eyebrow, and to Ghirahim said, “That’s interesting.  Somebody finally got some bass in his voice. Let me try something.” He grabbed Link by the arm and pulled him close, and Sidon stepped into the room.

“Mr Dragmire,” he said, and stood taller, more intimidating, as he marched right up to them.  “I absolutely respect your position and the pain you must be in right now, but I cannot allow Link to be in any danger.”

Ganondorf looked down and him, and Sidon held his ground.  This went on for a few, long seconds before Ganondorf scratched between Link’s ears and released him with a laugh.

“That’s great Sidon,” he said, and clapped him on the shoulder, before walking out of the room with a friendly, “Aveil I know you took my eyeshadow you sneaky bitch!”

Sidon pulled Link into his chest and held him there in a fierce hug, before he pulled back and looked down at him.  

“Say goodbye to Ghirahim, darling,” he advised, “We won’t see him again until the trial.”

“Oh Sidon,” Ghirahim smiled, “How I shant miss you in the slightest.”

“I hope your new owner is everything you want him to be, Ghirahim,” Sidon ran his knuckles down Ghirahim’s face, “I truly do.”

“I’ll miss you,” Link told him, and pulled away from Sidon to hug him, “I’m glad we could be friends.  Maybe I can visit you later, after the trial.” He squeezed tighter and added, “Have fun on your mountain.”

“Darling, he’s going to the desert,” Sidon explained.

Ghirahim chuckled, and pulled back to capture Link in a deep, meaningful kiss, as Ganondorf walked back into the room, holding an eyeshadow pallet.  He picked his coat up from where he had laid it over the back of a chair, and pulled something out from under it. He smiled at Sidon and watched the bunnies with an unreadable expression until Ghirahim pulled away, then spoke.

“Here,” he said, “Put this on.  It’s cold as hell outside.”

He fluffed out the fabric in his hands to reveal a red traveling cloak, and draped it over Ghirahim’s shoulders.

“Thank you, master,” Ghirahim purred, then Link pulled him close to kiss him again.  Ghirahim pulled away with a giggle, and leaned in to whisper in his ear. “Remember everything I’ve taught you, my little protege- don’t let him bully you unless you want it, don’t let him talk over you, use more lube than you think you need, swallow, and breath through your nose.”  He winked, and Link giggled.

Ganondorf clasped his suitcase for the final time as Aveil appeared in the doorway.  She said something in that language that Link couldn’t understand, and Ganondorf answered her, then held out his hand.  Sidon took it, and Ganondorf smiled at him.

“Until we meet again, Mr Ruta,” he said, “May the way of the hero lead to the triforce.”

“Yes, uh,” Sidon replied and shook, “May the way of the hero lead to the triforce.”

Ganondorf smiled and offered the same hand to Link, who stared at him for a beat before taking it.

“It was very nice meeting you, Link,” he said, “May the goddesses watch over you.”

Link tilted his head at the odd sensation when his hand began to itch again.

“May the way of the hero lead to the triforce,” Ganondorf said, and was not shocked when Link didn’t reply.

He released him, gave him one last scratch between the ears, and walked from the room.  Ghirahim paused to kiss his cheek, and Sidon followed to show them out. Then, they were gone, and Link was left standing in the empty guest room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... the reason that I've not written this week is because human people only have so much free time, whatwith life responsibilities and whatnot, and I have actually used all of mine to write a D&D campaign so I can learn how to work 5e. I'm going to be running it through Roll20, and I would LOVE it if any of you would like to play, especially if you've never played D&D before, so we can learn the ropes together and maybe grow closer as friends. If you like my storytelling here, you'd probably have fun living in this world I created. If anyone is interested, here's the link: https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/119959/new-dungeon-master-seeks-new-players-for-noob-quest
> 
> I promise it's going to be a lot of fun. Maybe you guys have seen the podcasts like The Adventure Zone, Fungeons and Flaggons, or Critical Roll and have been looking to get into it. I'm a DM more focused on character development and storytelling and less on rules lawyering, so I've got a very improv "Yes and" approach. I plan on having a session 0 to help everyone come up with their characters and learn about the world, get the sheets filled out and the backstory fleshed out, so I think folks will like it. Hit me up on roll20 if you want to play. I've never used it before, but you don't even need to buy dice, because they have virtual dice! Let's roll them bones!


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Sidon have some alone time again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope you're all doing great! This is another flashback heavy chapter, so there's the warning for that from the get-go. Also, another sex scene. I THINK that's everything I need to get out of the way, and if I've missed something, I'm sorry.
> 
> As always, I want to thank MissG for letting me use her AU! I don't think she's reading anymore, so if I mess something up, know that that's on me! Everyone should really consider giving her work a read. She's amazing! It's linked at the beginning of this work!
> 
> Also as always, I have a ko-fi if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Link wandered into the bathroom that Mr Ganondorf had left.  It still smelled like the strange perfume he wore, sweet and spicy in a scent that Link did not know the name of, and he secretly hoped that he had left something behind.  He nearly lept out of his skin when Sidon appeared behind him and scooped him up in his arms.

“Oh, Darling,” Sidon purred, “It is so wonderful to be alone again!”

Link cuddled into his chest and accepted the affection, but he didn’t share his enthusiasm.

“I didn’t know he was leaving today,” Link said.

“I didn’t either,” Sidon sighed, and adjusted Link so that he was sitting on the bathroom counter, “Mr Dragmire seems rather impulsive, doesn’t he?”

Link played with Sidon’s shirt and thought of Ghirahim.

“I liked him.”

“Mr Dragmire?” Sidon asked.

“Ghirahim,” Link said to Sidon’s chest.

“Darling,” Sidon raised Link’s chin with his thumb and forefinger, “Did you actually want to go with them?  Didn’t you want a little time for us to spend together? It’s been so long since we had a night to ourselves.”

“I just…  didn’t expect it,” Link explained, and crossed his legs at the ankles to keep Sidon close.”

“I’ll worry about him, too, honey bunny,” Sidon said as he gently played with Link’s bangs, “but we knew he would have to go to his real owner eventually.”

“Do you think Mr Ganondorf will be nice to him?” Link asked, and Sidon sighed.

“I don’t know, my love,” he admitted, “He’s a bit…”

“He was mean to you,” Link said, “I told him not to be.”

Sidon’s eyes flew open in alarm, “You told him not to be mean to me?  Mr Dragmire?” Link nodded, and he continued, “Love… when did you… you spoke to him?”

“In the garden, when he scared you,” Link explained, and there was a look in his eyes that Sidon didn’t like, didn’t understand, when he continued, “I don’t like it when people scare you.”

“Darling,” Sidon said seriously, “We must, both of us, always be kind to Mr Dragmire.”

“Why?” Link asked, and Sidon wondered when Link started questioning him so much as he reasoned, “He’s mean.”

“We must forgive him,” Sidon explained, “We have to understand that he’s in a lot of pain right now- for the same reason we must forgive Ghirahim.”

Link nodded.  That made sense.

“What’s a voe?” Link asked.

“I was wondering that myself,” Sidon said as he lifted Link again, “I think I’ll look it up.  It must be something that does not translate well from the Gerudo language to Hylian.”

Link hugged Sidon with all his might, and all his limbs, both to avoid falling, and because the physical sensation kept the sense of loss at bay, as Sidon carried him into their bedroom.  He let Sidon set him gently on the bed, but didn’t want to release him so he could stand. Sidon gently pried Link’s legs from around his waist and kissed him- sweetly, tenderly, and with great meaning.

“Don’t worry, darling,” he promised, “I’m getting into bed with you.”

 

Ghirahim was smart.  Link knew this, regardless of any score he got on any test, or of what any Hylian thought.  He had learned a lot from him, and he was sure that both he, and Sidon, would appreciate it.

“Little Toy,” Ghirahim had huffed, and continued fiddling with the remote to Link’s television, “Sidon is a push-over.  It’s ridiculous that you could harbor any of these strange fears about disappointing him.”

“I’m not strong enough,” Link pouted, and wondered why they weren’t having sex during the sex lesson.

“That will come with time,” Ghirahim said, and smiled, “I’ve done it, Little Toy, parental control is gone, all channels are unblocked, let’s watch something other than pornography- I’m so far behind on things I had been binging- oh, Pondo’s Lodge!  Let’s watch some idiots fall off cliffs and faceplant into the snow. There is absolutely nothing better than watching other people’s bad choices to make you forget your own.”

“Ghirahim, please focus,” Link begged, “I really do need help…”

Ghirahim cackled at the television, then turned his attention back to Link.

“Fine, Little Toy,” he sighed, “Do you know what your problem is?  It’s that you don’t speak and your master doesn’t listen. You let him speak over you, I’ve seen it.  Don’t do that.”

“But…  I’m wrong about stuff,” Link said.

“Like what?” Ghirahim asked.

“I don’t know…  I get scared… and uncomfortable.”

“Of?”

“I don’t know,” Link huffed, “Sometimes he…  I’m not good at talking about this.”

“You’re really not,” Ghirahim agreed.  “What’s wrong with you?”

“When I was little,” Link began, “At the breeding center, when we talked about sex, we learned that it was just supposed to be used to make other bunnies.  If your master didn’t want you to make other bunnies, you were never even supposed to think about it… and now I think about it so much… almost all the time…  Sidon says that they were wrong but… it still feels…”

“They were wrong,” Ghirahim said as if it was obvious, “You can think whatever you like.  That’s insane.” He studied Link for a minute before he continued, “You do know that, don’t you?  That no one can tell you what to think? You can think and feel however you like.”

Link’s face had turned red as Ghirahim watched.

“It’s just so much…  I wish we could slow down and…  it’s so different. I want to get used to it.”

“Ugh,” Ghirahim made a face, “You’re so vanilla.”  He rolled his eyes, smiled, and said, “If you want sweet, slow sex- or if you want anything from someone like Sidon, honestly, you have to make him think it was his idea.  Hylians love that. Don’t tell him to slow down- don’t engage him at all when he’s doing something wrong-”

“Doing something wrong?” Link asked in confusion, “Sidon is my master.”

“Yes,” Ghirahim said as if it was self-explanatory and common, “Sometimes you have to train them.  You have to teach them what to do, and move away from the things they shouldn’t do. What don’t you like?  Give me an example.”

“I don’t really like…” Link sat in thought for a moment, “eating cum…  sometimes he makes me lick it up…”

“Really?” Ghirahim tilted his head, “You don’t?”

Link shook his head.

“You’re so weird.”

“It doesn’t taste good,” Link shrugged.

“Well, I suppose there’s no accounting for taste,” Ghirahim played with the remote, and eventually explained, “Well, if he shoots it down your throat you won’t have to taste it- it would bypass your tongue.  Try something like,” he cleared his throat and when he spoke again it was softer, lighter, mimicking Link, “Oh, Sidon, your cock is sooo big, and I’m such a cute little toy- please, when you cum, bury it all the way down my throat- I want to feel every inch, every twitch, I want to feel you-” his voice changed back to normal abruptly and he laughed, “By the goddesses get your hands out of your lap,” he grabbed both of Link’s hands by the wrists and held them out from his body, “See?  You like that, and he will too.”

“I wonder what it feels like to come inside someone,” Link averted his eyes.

“Pretty good,” Ghirahim shrugged, “Depending on how good they are- but a lot more work.”

“Ravio’s given me a blowjob,” Link said.

“So have I,” Ghirahim huffed, “He isn’t special.”

“But I wonder what it’s like to…” Link trailed off.

“You’re killing me, Little Toy,” Ghirahim rolled his eyes, “and I don’t think Sidon will go for it.  Your little friend Ravio might.”

“Do you…”

Ghirahim giggled, “Maybe if you defeat me in hand to hand combat.”  He tilted his head in thought and amended, “Or during rutting season, when neither of us will know where we are.”  He sat up on the bed, stared hard at Link and continued, “Little Toy, the only real secret is saying what you need to say with confidence, and keeping it positive.  Try that, and it will alleviate 90% of your problem- the other 10% is your sheer size… I still don’t know how you do it. You’re so very small… Demise would have ripped you in half.”

 

“Sidon?” Link asked, keeping his arms around his neck.

“Yes, Darling?” Sidon leaned forward to rest his hands on the bed on either side of Link.

“Now that we’re alone…  can you… do you want to…”

“Yes,” Sidon’s voice was mostly breath as he pressed their lips together, and Link fell back under his comforting weight.  Sidon pulled back and began unbuttoning Link’s shirt, but gave up after two buttons and tugged it over his head instead. “Oh, darling, I’ve missed our time together as much as you have.  Don’t worry- I promise I will make up for every second.”

“Sidon,” Link purred, and ran his hands down the fabric of his shirt, “You’re so pretty, so big, so warm…  I want to feel your skin against mine, I want to feel every beat of your heart. Please, hold me…”

Sidon, to Link’s amazement,  pulled his own shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor.

“Oh, darling, I will, I promise.  I’ll never let go, I’ll hold you forever.”

“You’ll keep me forever?” Link asked with a smile.

“Until the end of time, my beautiful bunny,” Sidon unzipped Link’s boots and Link kicked them away while he leaned forward to unbutton Sidon’s pants.  He paused to run his hands up and down Sidon’s broad chest, and kissed a line down the center, between his pecs.

“Oh, my eager little love,” Sidon purred.

“Sidon,” Link gasped as Sidon stepped out of his pants to crawl onto the bed- he was naked and for that moment, Link was still half dressed.  That had never happened before.

Sidon let out a happy hum and asked, “Yes, Link?”

“Can you…  can we…”

“Anything you want,” Sidon kissed the place where his jaw met his neck, and his collar jinged at the jostling.

“I want…  I want to…  take all night,” Link begged, “I want you to fuck me, all night.  I want to be this close, I want to take our time, to feel everything.  It’s been so long since we were all alone and… I want to feel every inch, every twitch, I want to-”

“Mmm,” Sidon hummed again as he tugged down Link’s pants, “like a virgin…  yes, love, let’s get reacquainted. You and I are the only two people in the universe.  There will be time for everything else later.”

“Just like this,” Link begged, spreading his legs and tugging Sidon down with him, “I love the way you feel above me…  it makes me feel so safe.”

“I have to get the lube,” Sidon kissed him and sat up to dig through the nightstand, and Link whinned at his absence, “Oh, don’t worry, darling, I love it too, I love having you under me.” he hummed, “And I love hearing you speak like this.  Have I been neglecting you, darling?”

“It’s not your fault, Sidon,” Link promised, “You were so good to help Ghirahim, but-”

“But it certainly did cut into our time together,” Sidon agreed, and Link held his legs open, watching the glossy liquid drip, feeling the cold against his skin, feeling his tail trying to move, against his will, trapped between his body and the bed.

“Sidon!” Link called, not as if he was addressing as person, more like a prayer, a calling, as Sidon pressed against his entrance.  “Ah, ah- slow down a little, I want… I want to feel everything, I want to…”

“You want me to tease you, darling?” Sidon snickered, “Are you out of practice?”

He swirled one lube-covered hand over Link’s cock, and Link’s whole body twitched.

“Perhaps I’m also out of practice,” Sidon teased, “Perhaps I don’t remember your body either…  let’s see if I can find,” he shoved in a little more, “Your prostate,” a little more, “no, that isn’t it…”

“Sidon!” Link panted.

“Oh, darling, I’m afraid,” Sidon smirked, “I may be a bit lost- let’s explore a little more,” he grabbed Link by the hips and pulled him closer, and Link wrapped his legs around him.  Sidon wrapped a hand around his dick but didn’t squeeze, just light, maddening touches, and Link squirmed at the sensation.

“Yes, darling, there you go,” Sidon praised with a smile behind his eyes, “Help me out a little.”

“Sidon,” Link smiled back, and Sidon pushed forward, and Link saw stars.

“Oh,” Sidon teased, and held Link still with a hand on either side of his hips, “Did I find it?”

“Yes,” Link panted, “Yes, Sidon!”

“Would you like some more?” Sidon asked in the same voice.

“Yes!” Link answered.

“Would you ask nicely?” Sidon laughed.

“Please, Sidon!” Link begged.

“There’s my good bunny,” Sidon bent to capture Link in another kiss, and the world around them faded away.

Link didn’t know how much time passed, but it was the first time in a long time that he stayed exactly where he was, experienced everything without the haze of alcohol or the lightheadedness he usually felt, or the tension in his body from the guilt.  He was, he realized, as Ghirahim’s words- 

 

_ It is no wonder they are jealous of our form _

 

_ Sometimes I believe you toys think you really are dolls _

 

_ You’re not a child or a doll, you are an adult bunny _

 

_ The problem with you humans is that you don’t listen _

 

_ Humans lie. _

 

_ Sometimes you have to train them. _

 

-reverberated in his mind…  that Sidon had been right along.  Those people at the breeding center were wrong about Link…  and maybe not just them. Maybe a lot of people were wrong about him.

“Oh, darling, you’re beautiful,” Sidon praised, “I’m so close!”  He shoved Link’s knees to the mattress on either side of his head, and Link arched to meet him, “Once more, for me?  Cum again, with me?”

Link wanted to nod, but his head was pinned between his knees, so instead he locked eyes with Sidon and begged, “Cum inside me, Sidon!  As deep as you can! I want you to fill me up!”

Sidon growled in response, and obeyed- and Link rode it out with him, as exhausted as he was, the peaceful afterglow settled over him, and when Sidon released his legs to gather himself so he could pull out, Link lowered them around him, not to the bed.

“Sidon, please,” Link begged, “Stay, just a little longer…”

“Oh, darling,” Sidon promised with a kiss to his forehead, “I’ll be right back, I promise.  I have to pull out, and you need something to drink. You must be exhausted.”

“I am,” Link kissed his chin, “I like it.”

“Wonderful,” Sidon smiled down at him.

“I love you, Sidon,” Link promised.

“I love you, my little honey bunny,” Sidon promised back.

“Forever?” Link asked.

“Until the end of time,” Sidon captured him in a deep, meaningful kiss, and stroked his hair as he pulled back, “Now let me take care of you.  You’re a mess.”

They both laughed, and Link released him to cuddle up in the blankets they had soiled.

It wasn’t until Sidon had gone into the bathroom that Link realized something- 

He hadn’t seen the monster behind Sidon’s eyes.

  
  


Their routine was different now, with Ghirahim gone- but it did not revert completely.  It wasn’t as it had been before. The days were just as carefree, and just as content, but something in the air was different in a way that Link could not place.  Sidon wasn’t exactly different, and he did most of the same things, but…

“Can I still play swords?” Link asked from his position on the mat where he watched Sidon work out on the punching bag.  He was still doing the stretches that Ghirahim had taught him, but he wasn’t sure if he was doing them correctly or not.

“Oh,” Sidon said, and looked to the small place he stored his equipment, “ah…  yes, if you like.” But he sounded unsure.

“We don’t have to,” Link frowned.  Sidon had been so happy since everyone had left, he didn’t want to ruin it.

“No, darling,” Sidon smiled and walked to inspect and select equipment for them, “You’re quite right, you should keep up your exercise.  It is important for you, and I honestly should have been doing it all along. I just felt badly about forcing you, and I had no idea you would enjoy it.  Most of your interests are more quiet and creative.”

“You think I’m creative?” Link smiled, and hopped to his feet.

“Of course I do, darling,” Sidon promised, kissed his forehead, and handed him a sword.  “Alright, to your starting line.”

They both walked onto the piste, and saluted with smiles.

“Ready, darling?” Sidon asked, and Link nodded.

“Fence!” Sidon said, and Link darted forward with the speed of a bunny.  “Wonderful, darling!” Sidon praised as he parried his thrust, “You’re so fast!” He stepped back as Link advanced, “Perfect!”

Link thought Sidon was holding back, letting him win, and when he touched the tip of the blade to his chest, he thought of how much more difficult it had been to beat Ghirahim, someone who actually wanted to win.  There was a difference, Link realized. He and Sidon were actually playing- he and Ghirahim had been doing something different, but Link didn’t know what to call it.

It had been more fun.

Link won, but he didn’t feel the same sense of accomplishment, even as Sidon poured praises onto him, his enthusiasm slid off Link and around him.

_ He let me win,  _ Link thought.

_ Sidon, your approval means nothing to me _ \- Ghirahim had said.

“Thank you, Sidon,” Link said, though he hadn’t even really heard what he had said to him.  It was all smiles, and sweet touches, and background noise. But it wasn’t a real… victory.

Because it hadn’t been a real fight.

 

Link had a few days that began to bleed together, of domesticity and cuddling, of stories and fireside chats, of videogames and good sex- and he didn’t understand why he wasn’t happy.  All he had ever wanted, ever yearned for, was to love and be loved in return. And he had that, had all of Sidon’s attention, and anything he could have wanted-

So why was he bored?  Why did he feel as if something was missing?  He had never felt that way before. Before his life had always been about loving Sidon, pleasing Sidon, being with Sidon, becoming a cuddlebunny, becoming a  _ good  _ bunny, and it had been enough, he had been content.  But now, nothing had changed, but something was missing.

Link did not know it was fear.  He had always been afraid of something, of being alone, of the shelter, of Sidon…  but something had changed, and he could not pinpoint the exact second it had happened, could not identify what it was- but he was different.  He wasn’t some scared little shelter toy- he was the cuddlebunny who had torn open Ghirahim’s arm, who had stood up to Mr Ganondorf- a man even Sidon feared.

Sometimes the back of his left hand itched.

Sidon wanted to read another book to him, so Link walked along the shelves in the study, until he saw something that stood out to him- a green book with a symbol along the spine: three golden triangles, linked together, just like the symbol on Mr Ganondorf’s necklace.

“Oh,” Sidon’s eyes widened as Link handed it to him, “I’m not sure if you’ll enjoy this, darling, it’s particularly dry.”

“What do these triangles mean?” Link asked, pointing to the symbol on the cover, and Sidon frowned.

“Darling, I,” he bit at his lower lip, “Feel rather guilty.  I spoke to Yuga about this before, actually… I haven’t been nearly as devout as I should.  That is a triforce, a holy link to the goddesses- it rests in the sacred realm, which can only be accessed by the avatars of the gods, three chosen mortals whom the goddesses have blessed.”

Link stared up at him in obvious incomprehension, so Sidon walked over to the couch and sat down, then patted the seat beside him.  “Come darling, sit and I will read it to you.”

Link cuddled up to his side, and Sidon opened the book and began to read.

“ _ In the land beyond sight _

_ Where the sky shines golden, not blue, _

_ The triforce’s might _

_ Shall make mortal wishes come true. _

 

_ Before time began, before spirits and life existed... Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule.  This world was created by the three goddesses during a time of chaos. Din, the goddess of power, Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, Farore, the goddess of courage. Din: With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru: Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore: With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law.  Din, the goddess of power, created the land. Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, created order. Farore, the goddess of courage, created the diverse inhabitants. The three great goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens. And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis of our world's providence. And, the resting place of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm. _ ”

Link recognized those names- those were the people that Mr Ganondorf had thanked for their food, and had spoken to as if they were in the room with them the day Ghirahim had left.  Why did he do that? The book said that they had left. It wasn’t like they could hear him.

“ _ With their magic infused blood, the Hylian people were bestowed by the goddesses with psychic powers and wizardry.  They were likewise gifted with long ears, in the image of the goddesses, so that they may be held in high esteem by the many peoples of Hyrule.  These attributes allow them to hear the messages of the goddesses, and it is willed that their descendants shall spread throughout the land, passing on their knowledge and divine lore to all peoples. _ ” Sidon continued, and Link looked at the image in the book from where he sat, curled into Sidon’s side.

The painting showed three Hylian women with triangles on their foreheads, blowing puffs of wind onto two naked people, a decorative pole, and a tree.  It didn’t look particularly impressive, but Sidon read with a great revelry, as if this book in particular was vastly important.

“Is this true?” Link asked, and Sidon blinked down at him.

“Of course it’s true, darling,” Sidon said as if Link were crazy for suggesting otherwise.

“Mr Ganondorf talks to these people,” Link explained, “The goddesses.  He talks to them like they’re there when they’re not.”

“The goddesses are always with us, darling,” Sidon explained, “They watch over us and care for us.”

“Like an owner…” Link said, looking back to the painting, at the two small people bowing under the will of the three gods.  He didn’t see Sidon smiling down at him.

“Yes, darling, something like that.” Sidon tapped his thumb against the book, in thought, “Hylians have a great burden, as the chosen people of the goddesses, we must care for, watch over, and rule all the other creatures of Hyrule.”

“So you take care of us,” Link snuggled into his arm, “Because these goddesses told you to?”

“Yes,” Sidon kissed the top of his head, “But I would care for you, darling, without ever being asked.”

Link frowned, in thought, “But…  but what about all the other bunnies at the shelter?  And what about Hylians who don’t take care of the other creatures, like my old owners?”

“One…  does not do well,” Sidon said, speaking slowly and choosing his words carefully, “To disobey the will of the goddesses.  Nayru created the natural order the way it is for a reason. Hylians who, for whatever reason, fail to live up to their Hylan’s Burden will face divine wrath- there’s quite a bit to it, you’ll understand as we read more.”

He looked down at Link, who was squinting hard at the book, and said, “Darling…  this may be a bit too complex for you. The motivations of gods can be difficult to understand, and I would hate to fill your head with things that may frighten you.  Perhaps we should read something else.”

“I like it,” Link pleaded, “I want to know.  I like learning how the world was made. And I’m glad that there’s someone watching out for you.”

He snuggled his head into Sidon’s chest, and Sidon began to read again.

“ _ From among these chosen people, each goddess shall choose an avatar, a mortal to carry out her will upon Hyrule.  And lo, you shall know them by a holy mark upon their flesh, upon the back of their dominant hand. The chosen of Din shall be called, “The Forger of Strength” and shall bear the mark of Din.  The chosen of Nayru shall be called, “The Keeper of Knowledge”, and shall bear the mark of Nayru. The chosen of Farore shall be called, “The Juror of Courage”, and shall bear the mark of Farore. _ ”

Link scratched his hand where it itched, and felt his eyelids growing heavy.

“ _ And they shall serve the goddesses, without fail.  Only these most sacred may enter the Sacred Realm and find use for the power of the triforce.  Beware those who tempt the gods, who hope to use this holy, sacred power for personal gain. These titles must be freely given, only to the chosen avatars of the goddesses.  Beware false prophets, and those who allow the holy message to be distorted, or lost altogether-  _ oh, darling, you’re falling asleep.  I warned you this would be dry.” He laughed as if he was making a joke, and added, “And preachy.”

Link didn’t know why that was funny, but he was happy that Sidon was happy, so he smiled with him, and allowed Sidon to scoop him in his arms to carry him to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's a lot going on in this chapter that I want to talk about. First of all, let's tackle Hyrulian religion and where my text for this book is sourced from. I'm a bit of nerd, especially when it comes to Zelda, so I'm going to try to list everything I've pulled from, but I might forget something.  
> -Hyrule Historia  
> -In game text from the following games  
> *Zelda 2  
> *A Link to the Past  
> *Ocarina of Time  
> *Wind Waker  
> *Skyward Sword  
> -The officially licensed game booklet from A Link to the Past, available for a read here, which goes into detail about Hyrulian Holy books and the Hyrulian official religion: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/manuals/common/pdf/CLV-P-SAAEE.pdf
> 
> I think that's it. But I wanted to list my sources, and I may have missed something. The main thing I wanted to convey with this is that I didn't make any of that up. That is the real, canon, Hyrulian religious texts. I get a lot of praise in my Hyrule Warriors fic for things I didn't write, and I foresaw this being similar to that. Credit should go to the amazing team at Nintendo for that, not to me. I literally copy/pasted text word-for-word from those sources. I did not use any creativity whatsoever and would feel really bad about taking credit for it.
> 
> Secondly, I just wanted to talk about the flashbacks I used in this chapter, to kind of explain what I was talking about with how even if you throw out morality, it still makes no literary sense to disregard flashbacks as a literary device. This scene with Link and Ghirahim was actually originally in a much earlier chapter, when it chronologically would have happened. I moved it here, because it works much better here, as a flashback, than it did as a scene in the moment. By making it a flashback, by trusting my audience to be able to think non-linearly, I allowed them more flexibility to connect this conversation to Link's present actions, to see how it changed him. I also allowed Link to take his own agency- using his own brain to pull from the past and apply it to his current situation, a character development for him, because he didn't used to be able to do that. By having this scene as a flashback, it allows both Link the character, and the reader, to grow and understand not just Link's psychology, but also the transient nature of life, the reality of non-linear thought, the concept of scaffolding and building on experience. This stuff is important. I really am worried about the current 'anti-flashback' advice I keep seeing writers giving other writers. I'm scared that people will listen to it, and rob not only their audience of an important psychological concept, but their storytelling of an important tool.
> 
> I guess I just wanted to explain why this was a flashback, since he's flashing back to something that could have been told in the story itself. I just thought that this, in particular, was a good example of the principles I was talking about when I went the fuck off in those comments a few months ago. Not losing out on the complexity of literature is important to me. Giving your audience the tools to think critically is important to me. I really don't feel like my readers need their story spoon-fed to them one scene at a time, in chronological order. I believe in all of you and trust in your intellect.
> 
> I have more to say but I think I'm going to run out of room so I'm actually going to continue in a comment below. This scene has a lot in it, and I had a great time writing it.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Sidon travel to Lorule to help with trial preparations, and the gang is all here!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The only thing I can think of that might need a trigger warning is Ganondorf's unhealthy coping mechanisms, because he is falling-down drunk in this chapter from start to finish.
> 
> I want to thank everyone for sticking with me so far!
> 
> And I want to thank MissGillette, for letting me use her AU and letting me completely fuck it up. I swear to god I didn't mean to write a book when I started.
> 
> As always, I have a tip jar if anyone is interested: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

Link and Sidon were supposed to meet Ghirahim and Mr Ganondorf somewhere that was apparently really far away, and stay for a decently long time, because before they had left, Sidon had told him over and over to make sure he was properly prepared.  It was going to be the longest Link had ever been out of Sidon’s house since the shelter, and they were going to stay in a place called a ‘hotel’, in a country called ‘Lorule’, which Link remembered as a place that Ghirahim talked about all the time.  Link was excited to see the place Ghirahim was from!

But it took so long to get there.

They drove for so long, and started so early, that Link fell asleep in the car, woke up, and they still weren’t there.  It was dusk by the time Mr Whaylon finally opened the door for Sidon, and Link was not prepared for the crowd. He grabbed Sidon’s arm and held on as Sidon handed some rupees to a Hylian boy who was unloading their luggage, and let him lead him into a huge building, bigger than even the mall, which was filled with even more people, more noise, more ruckas.

“I have a reservation under Ruta,” Sidon explained, and Link watched the girl behind the desk enter the information as he spoke, “Or possibly Dragmire.  The rest of my party should have already arrived.”

“Sidon!” Yuga waved, and Link was happy to see him.  He hadn’t spent much time with him, but a familiar face in the sea of strangers was a welcome sight.

“Here’s your key, Mr Ruta,” The lady said, and handed Sidon a card, which he slipped into his wallet, before leading Link to Yuga.

“Father thought you may get lost,” Yuga explained as he, Sidon, Link, and the boy with their luggage all piled into the smallest room Link had ever seen.  “I assured him that you would be fine, but the trial is in two days, and he’s overly stressed. You know how he is.”

“I can only imagine,” Sidon said, and held Link close.  “How are you holding up?”

“I’ve been better,” Yuga smiled, but it did not reach his eyes, “Hillie has been my rock.  The girl is a sage, I wouldn’t be shocked to see a goddess’s mark appear on her hand.”

Sidon smiled and said, “She’s something special.  I’m glad you’ve found each other. She seems so happy with you.”

The door opened, and Link was confused.  The world around them had changed, but no one else seemed to mind, so he stepped out as Yuga indicated he should, and followed him to a doorway.

“Well then look at the goddamned room service menu, Ganny!” Was the first thing Link heard as it was opened.

“I’m not going to be the only fatass to get food!” Ganondorf was yelling at Aveil, who stood on a large balcony, past a living room that was at least as big as Sidon’s sitting room.  Ganondorf was standing in a small attached kitchen, and Link didn’t understand why he had painted his face green.

“Dad,” Yuga sighed, “Sidon and Link are here.”

“Link’s here!?” Came another scream, and a door burst open.  Ravio came tearing out, and lept onto Link with so much force he almost knocked him down.  Link steadied himself, caught Ravio, and spun around before setting him down. Ravio grabbed him by both cheeks and playfully kissed him, then grabbed him by the hand.

“I’ve missed you so much!  You have to come look around!  We’ve got a suite! This is the living room, and the kitchen, and this is Ganondorf’s room, and this is Hillie’s room, and this will be your and Sidon’s room.  Aveil is staying here too, but she’s not staying with us, she has a suite next to us, and it’s big too! But it’s connected through that door. They’ve been letting me and Ghirahim play over there so it’s like we have a big suite all to ourselves!  We had a sleepover last night in the living room! I watched Night at Ikana Canyon and didn’t get scared at all!”

Ganondorf waved to Sidon, walked over to a phone on the kitchen wall, and picked it up.  He opened a drawer, took out a menu, and studied it for a minute, then spoke into the phone.

“Yeah.  Room service.”  He put a hand over the receiver and screamed, “SOMEONE ORDER SOMETHING WITH ME!”

The door that Ravio had identified as ‘Ganondorf’s room’ opened, and Ghirahim stepped out.  His face was as green as Ganondorf’s, and he had a towel piled up on his head.

“I’ll get something master,” he said, and sauntered out of the room, “Do they have a desert men- oh.”  He smiled at Link, “Oh, hello Little Toy! I’ve been expecting you.”

“I’m not supposed to wake Hillie up,” Ravio frowned, “But…  me and Link want dessert too! I don’t think she’ll mind- Sidon, can I get food?”

“How big is that?” Ganondorf was asking the phone with his hand pressed to his other ear, “Ok then three of those.  Well done. With… you get bread with it, right? Send at least five baskets- these fucking bunnies go through bread like it’s going out of style.  Ok, so glazed apples, vegetable medley, and… I don’t know, baked potatoes, I guess. Oh, uh…. House? No, ceasar… no… let’s do two house and a caesar.  You know those fruit baskets that were here when we got here? Yeah let’s do two more of those, a pumpkin pie…” He flipped the menu over to look at the back.

“Dad, your blood pressure,” Yuga warned as Ghirahim joined Ganondorf in the kitchen.

“Master,” Ghirahim said, “I’d like a honeyed fruit tray, and perhaps a monster cake?”

“Did you hear that?” Ganondorf asked the phone, “Yeah, and I have tore into that minibar; just send the boy up to restock.”

“Dad,” Yuga warned.

“Leave him,” Aveil waved her hand and blew out a plume of strange-smelling smoke from the pipe she held, “He will graze.”

“Master, may I get a fruit cake for my friends?” Ghirahim asked.

“Did you hear that?” Ganondorf asked, “Yeah, just restock this minibar.  I want all the Captain Lineback you have- no, stop, listen.” He held up one finger as if he was making a point to the person on the phone, “What I fear is that you just heard me say ‘bring me a lot of Captain Lineback’.  That’s not what I said. I said, “Bring me all the Captain Lineback you have”. Good.” He put the phone to his chest and asked the room, “Anything else? Anybody?”

“Get me a vegetable curry,” Aveil said with a smirk.

“What about you, Sidon, what do you want?” Ganondorf asked.

“I…  I believe we would really just like to get settled-” Sidon began but Ganondorf cut him off.

“Fucker likes pancakes, give me an order of crapes, just whatever toppings.  Yuga, food, order.” 

“Dad that’s like 30,000 calories already,” Yuga begged, “I’ll just eat on it, like you will, to keep you from grazing yourself to death!  Farore’s gossamer wings, you’re killing yourself!”

He walked to his room and disappeared inside in a manner that suggested he wanted to slam the door, but had decided against it.

Link squeezed Ravio’s hand, and Ravio squeezed back.  He turned to him with a smile and asked, “Wanna see my cool scar?”

Link nodded, and Ravio pulled down the shirt he was wearing, and pulled up his collar, to reveal a long scar from his jawline to his collarbone.

“Link, Sidon,” Ganondorf said before Link had a chance to react, “Make yourselves at home.”  He crouched, opened a small refrigerator, took out a nearly empty bottle with a pirate on it, and poured himself a glass from it.

Link ran his fingertips over Ravio’s scar.

“Lorule’s got a hell of a nightlife,” Ganondorf said to Sidon, “What’s your poison?  Eh, fuck it, I already know. It’s on your bed. You goin out tonight?”

“Ghirahim’s master is druuuuuunk,” Ravio told Link in a sing-song voice.

“No,” Sidon answered as pleasantly as he could, “No, I think Link and I would just like to get settled.”

It was much warmer than Link had anticipated.  Even with the balcony door open he was baking in his clothes, so he walked to the place where the bellboy had left his suitcase, by the door, and picked it up, then followed Sidon to the room Ravio had shown them.  It was nice, a bit like their room at home, but with far more purple.

There was a white brick lying on the bed, and Sidon’s eyes widened when he saw it.  He grabbed it, moving faster than Link had ever seen him, and stuffed it into his suitcase as he opened it on the bed to unpack.

“A little stuffy in here, isn’t it darling?” He asked Link, and Link nodded.

The door opened and Ravio walked in, looking annoyed.

“He locked me out, again!” Ravio pouted, looking as if he might cry.

“Who did, darling?” Sidon asked as Ravio ran and threw his arms around him.

“Yuga!” Ravio whimpered, “He does it all the time!  He takes Hillie and they go off in secret and I’m not allowed in!  He’s stealing her from me!”

“Oh…  oh, Ravio, darling, no.” Sidon knelt to be more on his level, “Hilda would never abandon you just because she’s spending some time with someone else.  You’re her special bunny. It’s just that Yuga is going through a lot right now, and he’s upset, so we all have to be there for him, be very kind to him.”

“I don’t like him,” Ravio said.

“Is he doing that again?” Link turned to see Ghirahim leaning against the doorframe.  He was no longer wearing his face mask, and he had taken the towel from his head and draped it across his shoulders, “You’re making my master’s mood worse with your constant bitch-crying.”

“Ghirahim, be nice,” Sidon warned, “Ravio is feeling a little left out right now.”

“Oh, Sidon,” Ghirahim smiled and took a drink from the bottle he was holding, “I take such great pleasure in telling you that you can’t tell me what to do anymore.”  He walked up to Link and pulled him into a hug. “Oh, Little Toy, the news of your arrival has filled my heart with rainbows! You simply have to go with me tomorrow, as I prepare for the trial.”

“Link can’t go to any trial preparations with you, Ghirahim,” Sidon explained, “He isn’t allowed to do any legal-”

“We’re going to do a spa day,” Ghirahim cut him off, “Manis, pedis, massages, full body scrubs, hot stone therapy-”

Ganondorf stumbled into the room and caught himself on the doorframe.  His facial mask was also gone, and his robe was hanging open about his broad chest; his hair had also apparently escaped his towel, but it hung haphazardly, out in all directions.

“Sidon,” He said with great difficulty, “You find your present?”

“Yes, Mr Dragmire,” Sidon said, trying to hide his disgust, “Thank you.”

Ganondorf laughed, and said something in a language that was not Hylian, but Ghirahim frowned and said, “Master, perhaps Aveil is right.  Perhaps you should sit down before you fall ill again.”

“Ghirahim,” Ganondorf said seriously, and threw back the last of the liquid in his glass, “It’s going to happen.  I’m going to see that bitch fry.” He laughed again, and Link thought he was even more frightening than he had been before.

“How much has he had?” Sidon asked with concern.

“Shut up, Sidon,” Ghirahim said, and Ganondorf chuckled, said something else in the language that Link could not understand, and stared into his empty glass as if the lack of a beverage confused him.

“Please talk her out of it,” Ghirahim begged, released Link and laid his hands on Ganondorf’s chest, “Master, please, let’s return to the living room and sit down.  You’re unsteady on your feet.”

“I’m fine,” Ganondorf said, though he was not, “Listen, Sidon.” He pointed his empty glass in Sidon’s direction, “You get the messages I sent you?”

“Yes, Mr Dragmire,” Sidon pulled his laptop out of the suitcase, sat it on the bed, and plugged it in to charge.

“Good,” Ganondorf said, “You go over that with him tomorrow.  I gotta-” He paused as the doorbell rang out from the living room, “That better be the fuckin food!”

“This trial is hitting him particularly hard, isn’t it?” Sidon asked as he hung his clothes.

“Hylia will be in the courtroom during the trial,” Ghirahim explained, and took another drink.  “I daresay he is no more looking forward to seeing her than I am.”

Link nodded, and unzipped his suitcase to try to find a different shirt to wear.  He took off his coat and sat it gingerly down on the bed, then pulled his sweater over his head and replaced it with a more comfortable tee that he had gotten from the bunny shop back in Hyrule.  It was white, and had little chibi bunnies running along the bottom hemline. 

Ghirahim narrowed his eyes at it and asked, “Really?”

“I think he’s cute,” Ravio said.

“That’s because you’re an idiot,” Ghirahim explained, not unkindly.

“Ghirahim’s so mean,” Ravio said to Link, “He can make anything sound like an insult.  Just any random word. It doesn’t even have to make sense.”

“Shut up, you absolute cheesecake,” Ghirahim smirked at him and Ravio shook, either in laughter or anger, Link couldn’t tell.

“As I was saying,” Ghirahim went on, “I’m going to pick up my suit for the trial, and I want to take you with me to my taylor.”

“That’s very sweet of you, Ghirahim,” Sidon said.

“Ugh,” Ghirahim made a face at him, “Your presence grates on my nerves.  Come, Little Toy, Ravio, let’s indulge in my master’s vices and partake of the feast he has provided us.”

“They make all kinds of food in Lorule that they don’t serve in Hyrule!” Ravio told Link, and grabbed his hand to lead him out of the room, “Like monster cake!  It’s purple, my favorite color! You have to try it!”

Link looked over his shoulder at the suitcase he hadn’t yet unpacked, and at Sidon, who looked exasperated.  Sidon gave him a tired smile and a wave.

Ravio paused outside Hilda’s bedroom door and held up a hand for Link to be quiet, then pressed his ear to the door.  

Link shook his head and whispered, “You’re not supposed to evesdrop.”  But when he saw the concerned look on Ravio’s face, he mimiced him.

“-killing my father,” Yuga was saying, softly, quietly, obviously trying not to be heard.

“He has to be prepared, Yuga,” Hillie said in her most comforting voice, “The lawyers keep telling us that it might not go well.  All we have is a single witness, and it’s a bunny.”

“If she doesn’t go away for this,” Yuga replied in the same hushed tone, “It will absolutely kill my father.  I’ve already lost grandfather. I can’t lose them both. We cannot let her go unpunished. We deserve justice…  we’ll have to go through with our plan.”

“I told you that I would support you,” Hilda agreed, “Only that you must be careful.  She’ll be on guard, be surrounded by potential witnesses.”

“I know,” Yuga sounded contemplative, “And I do not know if I can trust my father to keep a cool head.  That is why I would… like you not to accompany me, in the courtroom.”

“...you don’t want her to see us together,” Hilda said as if she was figuring something out, “So that I would have no attachment.  So that I could get close to her.”

“Yes,” Yuga said, “As I see it, that is the only way... it is our best hope.”  After a pause he continued, “Can Sidon be trusted?”

“What are you toys doing?” Ghirahim had turned to look at them, and cocked his head to the side.  When he took in the scene, he made a disgusted face and continued, “You rude little creatures.” He jerked them both away and pressed his ear to the door, “What are they saying?”

But at that moment, the door opened, and Ghirahim quickly stepped back and placed his hand on the doorknob of the door on the opposite wall, as if he had been in the process of opening it.  Hilda stood in the doorway looking weary, but when she spotted Link, she smiled.

“Hello, little Link,” She scratched between his ears and he leaned into the affection, “It’s been so long since I last saw you.”

Link nodded, then hugged her, and pointed towards the room he was sharing with Sidon.

“Or Sidon,” Hilda chuckled, “I’ll have to go say hello.”

Yuga followed her out of the room, but he paused, and gave Ravio a long, hard look, as if he didn’t trust him.  But it was over in an instant, and he walked after Hilda with long strides.

“Well,” Ghirahim said, watching him walk away, “That is…  suspicious.”

“I don’t trust him!” Ravio said, “Hillie’s been listening to him too much!  Spending too much time with him!”

“He’s her lover,” Ghirahim said to Link as if that explained everything, and to Ravio he continued, “You are out of your league, Toy.  Your jealousy is understandable, but unbecoming.”

“I’m not jealous!” Ravio snapped.

“He’s so jealous,” Ghirahim said to Link, and Link nodded.

“No, I’m not!  I just don’t trust him!” Ravio countered, but neither of them believed him, and their disbelief was grating on his nerves, “I’m not, I’m not, I’m not!”

Link rolled his eyes and tugged on the sleeve of Ghirahim’s robe.

“You should have seen him when I…” He began, and realized he didn’t have the vocabulary to finish.

“When you what, Little Toy?” Ghirahim asked.

“...I don’t know,” Link admitted, “Not a blowjob, but like…  she doesn’t have a dick.”

“Oh, I’m sure she does,” Ghirahim said dismissively, “It’s just smaller and more difficult to locate if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“You two should listen to me!” Ravio was vibrating with frustration.

“Yuga is a perfectly respectable person, Ravio,” Ghirahim said as if he had been insulted, “He is my master’s son, and I won’t have you disrespecting him in my presence.  Master Ganondorf loves him, and, therefore, so do I.”

“Oh shut up, Ghirahim!” Ravio snapped, and Link slapped him in the arm.  He didn’t like the way jealousy changed Ravio, made him rude and controlling.  Link glared at him, but Ghirahim crossed his arms and looked down at him.

“Need I remind you,” Ghirahim asked, and flicked his eyes to Ravio’s scar, “what happens to people who cross me?”

Link slapped Ghirahim in the arm as well, and he nearly dropped the bottle he had been sipping from.

“Stop it!” Link told both of them, and Ghirahim rolled his eyes while Ravio balled his hands into fists at his sides.

“Link is right,” Ghirahim said with a smile, “Let’s not fight.  Let us, instead, gorge ourselves on processed sugar until our teeth hurt!”

Link smiled back and him, and the three of them made their way into the living area, where Ganondorf had spread everything he had ordered out on the bar like a buffet table.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all about things left unsaid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 30, oh my god you guys, I'm so sorry. Miss Gillette, I'm so sorry I took this and ran so far with it. I never intended for it to be this long.
> 
> As always, I need to tell everyone to check out Miss Gillette, because she's amazing.
> 
> Also, I have a Ko-fi if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks at me: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

“Are you boys sleeping in my suite again tonight?” Aveil asked from where she sat, next to Ganondorf on the couch.

“We’ve sort of just been sleeping where we fall,” Ghirahim answered, “But I would like to sleep with my master, at least tomorrow night.  It would steady my nerves.”

“Sleep where you want,” Ganondorf said, cutting his meat.  “Just keep your shit together. After we get back tomorrow, you’re going to practice the hell out of your testimony.  You’re not going to fuck this up.”

“Master,” Ghirahim said solemnly, “This means so much to me.  You know how hard I’ve worked… please don’t act as if I would intentionally do anything through action or inaction to harm our case.  Demise deserves justice. I want that more badly than I have ever wanted anything.”

Ganondorf chewed slowly, in thought.

Link had thought when Ghirahim had ordered two cakes and a pie that he had ordered slices- but Link had been wrong.  Ravio had cut generous slices from the whole cakes the boy had brought, and the three bunnies were all sitting on the opposite side of a coffee table as he plated them and set them before them.  Yuga walked into the room from the hall, followed by Hilda and Sidon, and sighed in disgust.

“Three steaks and pure sugar.  That’s exactly what he needs.” He said sarcastically, and huffed as he walked into the kitchen.  As he poured water into a coffee pot he asked, “Hey dad, is there anything to drink that doesn’t have alcohol in it?”

“You could make some tea,” Ganondorf answered, and turned to see that Yuga was already doing that.

“Dad,” Yuga said as if it was a complete sentence.

“Ravio, that’s a big piece of cake,” Hilda said sternly.

“Yuga, can Sidon pour our tea?” Ghirahim asked, “Link only likes it when Sidon makes it.”

“Link doesn’t need to take anything that is going to make him hyper this late at night,” Sidon replied, wishing he was anywhere else.

Hilda sat on the couch behind Ravio and scratched between his ears absentmindedly.  He ignored his cake and pressed his face to her thigh, and Link watched him and thought he was acting a little desperate.  Link didn’t understand him at all. Link knew what a lover was, Sidon used it to refer to him, and Link didn’t care if Sidon slept with Ravio, or Ghirahim, or anyone else.  When all was said and done, Sidon was still going to take care of him- it didn’t matter if he had other people to take care of. Ravio acted like love was a finite resource, and that he deserved all of it, and it annoyed Link, because Ravio honestly acted like that with a lot of things.

“I know,” Ghirahim said as if he could read his thoughts, “Have  _ some  _ dignity.”

But Ravio ignored them, and glared at Yuga when he came over holding two cups of tea.  He handed one to Hilda, sat one on the table for Link, and returned to the kitchen to get two more.  Hilda sipped hers slowly as Link wished for sugar, had an idea, and scraped the whipped cream from his cake into his cup.  He stirred it as Yuga knelt to offer a cup to Ravio.

“No, thank you.” Ravio said with venom in his voice, and Hilda sighed.

“Ravio,” She said, exasperated, “Stop.”

Ravio took the cup, but was rather bitchy about it.

“If we do have another sleepover, is Link coming with us?” Ravio asked, and to Link continued, “We have all kinds of fun!  I knew Ghirahim and I would be friends if we could be nice to each other!”

“Oh yes,” Ghirahim rolled his eyes, “It’s so much fun.  The conversations are simply riveting. But I have, for the most part, avoided slapping him.”

“If you fight, we’ll separate you,” Hilda said in a tone that implied she said it fairly frequently, but she also seemed far away, in thought, somewhere else.

“Where do they sleep at these ‘sleepovers’?” Sidon asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice, “I was under the impression Link would be sleeping with me.  It’s his first night sleeping away from home, and I wouldn’t want to upset his routine any more than it already is.”

“Oh,” Yuga sat next to Hilda and picked up a honeyed hoy pear slice from the fruit tray, “Ravio and Ghirahim have been spending much of the night in…  merriment. We’ve been letting them…”

“Everyone has been so distracted,” Hilda said, looking up at Sidon, “I know I haven’t been supervising him properly.  I’m wracked with guilt.” She looked it. “I suppose they’ve been running wild.”

“How much more are you supposed to supervise them?” Ganondorf asked, and when Yuga realized he could barely hold his knife, he reached across the table and took it from him.

“Dad, you’re drunk,” He huffed, and leaned between Link and Ghirahim to cut the meat.

“In the morning I’ll be sober,” Ganondof snarled, “And you’ll still be a jackass.”

“I don’t want you to cut yourself,” Yuga explained, and Link saw Ghirahim’s face turn white.

“I’ll cut it!” Ghirahim offered, but Yuga held his ground.

“I’ve got it, Ghirahim, I know bunnies can’t stand meat.”

Ghirahim nodded, and sat back down, but he was still pale, and shaking a little, and Link held his hand under the table.  Ghirahim shook his head and whispered, “I’ll never… see Ganondorf cut… or bleed… not even a little… I’ll never let that happen again.”

Link nodded, and squeezed his hand.

“Darling, would you be alright?  Sleeping apart from me? You haven’t done that in…  so long.” Sidon asked him in a tone that implied he wanted a specific answer.

“Let him sleep wherever the fuck he wants,” Ganondorf took the fork Yuga offered him, “He’s a pet, not a slave,”

Link frowned, and looked at his hands instead of at anyone in particular.  He didn’t see the glare Sidon was giving Ganondorf.

“We can all sleep with our masters tomorrow,” Ghirahim said, “If Link wants to party with us tonight.”

“Don’t party too hard, Ghirahim,” Yuga warned as he sat back down, “You have a lot to do tomorrow.  We need you to be as presentable as possible in court, both in appearance and demeanor. You have to be on your best behavior.”

“You speak as if you’re worried about that,” Ghirahim turned to glare at him.

“I’m a little nervous,” Yuga admitted and picked up a honeyed apple slice, “I don’t think I can be faulted for it.  We need to go over specific manners for court.”

“Sidon’s gonna coach him,” Ganondorf pointed his fork at Sidon, “That’s what he’s here for.”

“Lovely,” Sidon said, and took the seat on Yuga’s other side.  He reached down to tug Link closer, until he was leaning against his legs in the same way Ravio was leaning against Hilda.  Link reached up with his free hand to squeeze Sidon’s knee, then released Ghirahim’s hand to climb into his lap. Ghirahim rolled his eyes.

“So, Mr Dragmire,” Sidon asked, “How has Ghirahim been since you took him home?  Has he acclimated to his new environment well? I’m sure most people would have difficulty caring for a cuddlebunny that once belonged to their father.”

“Why?” Ganondorf asked, as if the statement was stupid and Sidon was stupid for saying it.

“Hylians don’t share voe, dad.” Yuga explained, with the ‘ _ you’re embarrassing me’ _ heavily implied.

“What does that word mean?” Sidon asked, “I’ve been wondering.”

“Uuuuuuuh,” Yuga said, and sipped his tea.

“Man?  Would probably be the closest equivilancy in Hylian?” Aveil thought aloud.

“Not…  really…” Yuga lowered his cup slowly.

“If someone called me a voe, I’d slap the shit out of them,” Ganondorf said between bites.

“There’s a…  different connotation,” Yuga began, but trailed off.  He took a breath and began again, “So ‘Gerudo’ means person, ‘Vehvi’ means ‘my child’ but most Hylians translate it to ‘daughter’...  ‘Vai’ is often translated as ‘woman’ but actually means something more like, ‘adult’- so both father and I would refer to ourselves as ‘vai’...  ‘Voe’... might be closer to something like…” he trailed off, in thought again.

“Stud?” Ghirahim suggested, “That’s what they call it with livestock.”

Yuga made a noncommittal noise, and Aveil nodded.

“I believe,” She said, “That I will retire to my room.”

“Tell Aunt Nabby I said hi!” Yuga waved as she walked through a door into the adjoining suite.

“Aunt?” Sidon asked.

“Oh, yes,” Yuga blinked at him, “Aveil is my aunt.  I thought you knew that. She’s married to my father’s sister, Nabooru.”

“I did not,” Sidon cuddled Link into his chest.

“We like to keep business in the family,” Ganondorf said, and stacked a second plate onto his now-empty one.  “But Aveil is a shark. They’re good for each other.”

He looked across the table, studying Sidon as if he was searching him for something.  After a few, long seconds, he shrugged, and went back to eating. Yuga stood again to cut up the second steak, and took the third, sat back and began to eat it.  He said something in the language Link didn’t understand, but could now properly identify as Gerudo, and that he correctly interpreted as disapproval of Ganondorf’s binge eating.

“Well,” Ghirahim said as he finished his cake, “I think I may retire as well.  Who would like to come with me?”

“I’m getting you up early,” Ganondorf told him.

“Of course, master,” Ghirahim stood, leaned across the table, and kissed his cheek.  “Call for me if you need me. Or want me. For  _ anything _ .”

Ganondorf nodded in reply and Ghirahim walked through the door Aveil had gone through.  Sidon watched him, then stood, and carried Link after him. Aveil was standing in her kitchen, speaking into her cell phone in Gerudo, but her eyes widened when she saw him, and her conversation seemed more rushed.

“Darling, if you would like to stay here and play with Ghirahim,” Sidon said quietly as he sat him on his feet, “You may certainly do that.  But I would appreciate it if you returned to my side to actually sleep.” He took both of Link’s hands in his own and kissed the back of them, “I don’t think I could sleep without you.”

Link stood on his tiptoes to kiss him, and whispered, “I want to sleep with you, too, Sidon.  I feel safer in your arms. And I want to be there in case Mr Ganondorf does something mean. I can come with you right now.  I love you.”

“I love you, too, my honey bunny,” Sidon smiled at him, “But you can take tonight to have fun with your friends.”  He playfully pinched Link’s cheek, “I actually need to talk with Hilda for a little while, so you three have a nice playdate.  Miss Aveil seems as if she’s willing to watch over you all. I’ll wait up for you, and you can tell me all about it.”

“How tall are you?” Aveil asked Sidon, and he turned to see that she had put the phone to her chest, awaiting his response.

“Oh,” Sidon hadn’t expected the question, “I’m not sure? Perhaps…  5’ 11”? I was often teased for my height. Why?”

Aveil ignored him and spoke to the person on the phone, and the way she kept looking at Sidon made Link think that she was talking about him.

“How old are you?” Aveil asked after a few seconds.

“It’s a bad idea,” Ghirahim told her from where he sat on the couch, glancing up from the television where he was flipping through movies displayed on the screen with a poster, text, and price.

Aveil said something to him, and he said something back, and both used that word ‘voe’ that Link still didn’t really understand the meaning of.  Ghirahim rolled his eyes and said something that Link interpreted as opting out of the conversation, before turning his attention back to the television and muttering, “if there was ever anyone who shouldn’t reproduce…”

“I’m sorry,” Sidon said, “What is this for?”  When she continued to ignore him, he turned back to Link and kissed his forehead.  “Have fun, and try not to eat too many sweets. And please don’t drink at all, darling, you don’t know your limits and are liable to fall ill.  You remember how little Ghirahim can be trusted with drinking.”

Link nodded.  That was good advice, and he hadn’t really thought about it.  Mr Ganondorf didn’t seem like he was watching Ghirahim very closely, and you had to watch him, because on his own he was even worse than most bunnies.  Link didn’t think he was taking very good care of him.

“Is Mr Ganondorf a hylian?” Link asked.  It was odd that he liked those goddesses so much, but didn’t do what they told him.

Ghirahim laughed and said, “Don’t let him hear you say something like that.”

“No, darling,” Sidon explained, “Mr Dragmire is a Gerudo.  That’s why he’s so tall, his skin is so dark, and his ears are so small.  It’s also why he speaks that,” Sidon paused as if stopping himself from saying something that he may regret, and continued, “Language.  And why many of his customs may seem strange to us.”

Link nodded, thinking about the book Sidon had read to him, about the goddesses, and asked, “Then shouldn’t Mr. Ganondorf have a Hylian to take care of him?”

Sidon looked as though he didn’t like this line of questioning, but he closed his mouth, and decided against saying whatever it was he was going to say when he looked into Link’s big, innocent eyes.  Link was genuinely curious, he asked these questions out of real ignorance, not to push toward any kind of political agenda.

“The Gerudo decided against that system,” Sidon explained, “It’s a long story.”

“But the book said that the Hylians had to take care of everyone else, and teach them,” Link thought aloud, “That the goddesses told them to.”

“Oh, Little Toy,” Ghirahim giggled, “You mean to tell me that  _ Hylian  _ holy books say that  _ Hylians  _ have a divine, holy right to impose their culture on every other race?  Why, what an amazing coincidence that Hylian authors would write such a thing.”

“Link, it’s a long story,” Sidon said, growing more and more annoyed, “I’ll teach you the history of the Hyrulian Civil War-”

“Hyrulian colonization,” Ghirahim corrected.

“Hyrulian Civil War,” Sidon said again, and jerked toward the camera flash that lit up the room.  Aveil had taken a picture of him, and he looked shocked and outraged. Link did not think to connect her actions to the many times Sidon had taken pictures of him with no warning, and did not find the emotions displayed on his face hypocritical.  When Aveil spoke into the phone again, he once again caught the word ‘voe’.

“Excuse me,” Sidon said to her, “Did you just take a picture of me?  Ms Aveil?”

“My wife wanted to see what you looked like for herself,” Aveil explained with annoyance in her voice, as if she wouldn’t be explaining anything to him at all, but she didn’t know how else to shut him up.

“Stupid,” Ghirahim decided, “Sidon, if I were you, I would leave.”

“Don’t be rude, Ghirahim,” Sidon said with more authority than he felt.  “I should be leaving, though, darling. As I said, I want to talk to Hilda before she heads back to bed.  She’s looking a little worn down.”

Link nodded, kissed Sidon gently, and said, “Tell her I hope she feels better soon.”

“I will.”  Sidon squeezed Link’s hands, and then he was gone.

“Your master boils my blood,” Ghirahim huffed and leaned forward to pick a pack of cigarettes up off the coffee table.  “I don’t know what you see in him.”

“Sidon is  _ good _ , Ghirahim,” Link said as he sat next to him, “He loves me.  He saved me from the shelter and gave me everything. He takes good care of me.  You shouldn’t be so mean to him.”

“My memory is not so short as yours, Little Toy,” Ghirahim said, and rubbed his neck, then lit his cigarette and inhaled slowly as the cherry glowed in the dark room.

“You’re so mean,” Link said, “Your master isn’t perfect, but I don’t say mean stuff about him!”

“My master never attacked you!” Ghirahim spat back.

“HEY!” Ganondorf yelled from the other room, “I HEAR YOU TWO SCREAMING!  START FIGHTING AND I SEPERATE YOU!”

“I APOLOGIZE, MASTER!” Ghirahim yelled back, “WE’LL BE GOOD!”

A few minutes later, as Ghirahim was snuffing out his cigarette, Ravio walked in, looking much happier.

“Did she let you crawl into her lap and make a spectacle of yourself?” Ghirahim asked.

“Yeah,” Ravio smiled, “And I’m gonna sleep with her tonight…  I just wish Yuga didn’t sleep with us, too.”

“Oh, she isn’t allowed to sleep next to Yuga, but you’re allowed to sleep next to me, or Link, or Sidon?  You’re such an annoying little hypocrite.” Ghirahim threw one arm over Link’s shoulders, “You understand how much that gets on everyone’s nerves, don’t you?  I don’t mind selfishness, but I hate inconsistency!”

“It’s not the same!” Ravio protested.

“You selfish unchewed piece of bubblegum,” Ghirahim said to him with a snarl, and Ravio cracked a smile, so he continued, “You fucking teapot, you unwashed hoy pear, you absolute goddamn keese.”  Ravio giggled, and sat down next to Link. “You slithering sand-seal-”

“Listen little bunnies,” Aveil said as she walked over and leaned over the back of the couch, “I am going to bed.  I must meet with the prosecutor in the morning, so you three be good and break nothing.” She pulled the three of them into a hug, which forced Link’s face between her breasts, and he thought of how much kinder she was to him than to Sidon.

“Especially you,” She said to Link when she pulled away, and tusseled his hair before she turned on her heel and walked down the hall toward the bedrooms.

“Her titties are so big!” Ravio said, on his knees, peering over the back of the couch to watch her walk away, with his tail thumping back and forth.  “All of her is so big… the Gerudo are so pretty…”

Ghirahim picked up a throw pillow and smacked Ravio with it, with a yell of, “Hypocrite!”

“Stop it!” Ravio shot back, picked up the pillow on his side, and, just as Ghirahim had done, stretched over Link to smack him.

Link giggled, and squirmed away from them and onto the floor.

“Enough,” Ghirahim said playfully once Link had escaped, and Ravio giggled.  “This gang-bang is off to a slow start- Who wants to get spit-roasted by a star witness?”

“Me!” Ravio raised his hand and hopped on his knees, and Link leaned back on his elbows to giggle at his enthusiasm.

“Then turn around,” Ghirahim guided him by the hips and reached down to offer Link a hand, “Come on, Little Toy, back onto the couch.”

Link took it and scrambled back up, where Ravio instantly pulled him into a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so long, you guys. It's so fucking long. I want to thank everyone who has stuck by me. I am just incapable of things like pacings and endings. I've got at least 33 chapters so far and I'm not done and I'm so sorry.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link has a traumatic nightmare that makes no sense in the pre-established canon. We are officially completely off the tracks people! We've jumped the shark!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so... the chapter summary is true. I've changed canon from MissGillete's original intentions and I want to be very upfront about it and explain myself. In order for a lot of threads to come together, I need Zelda to be older for a few reasons. The first is that I want Link to have spent more time with her, way more than the 9 years in Miss G's original fic. Secondly, I wanted her departure to be for good- moving away from home. Thirdly, I wanted Link to have been adopted from a breeder (like Ghirahim) by the Hyrules, and I had established that bunnies are adopted out young. For Link's backstory to make sense in the world I set up through Ghirahim, and the one I'm using to mirror trafficking survivors, I needed the timeline to match up. Also, for story reasons that will make sense once you read the chapter, I needed 2 bunnies that are close in age to have timelines that lined up perfectly. I'm sorry. I know this is a huge diversion. Idk if MissG is still reading or not, but if you are, idk, I'm sorry. I changed it and I went off your preestablished story and I take full responsibility for it. I'm having such a hard time finding an ending and this is going to get me there.
> 
> As always, I want to thank MissGillette for letting me write in the world she created, and I hope she's not mad that I fucked it up.
> 
> Also as always, I have a ko-fi if anyone wants to send a couple bucks my way: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

When Link came to bed, Sidon was sitting up reading over something on his laptop.  It was the only light in the room, and it gave his face an otherworldly glow. Link looked for his suitcase and found it beside the bed, but when he went to open it, Sidon stopped him.

“I unpacked your things for you while you were playing with your friends,” Sidon explained, “Did you have fun?”

“I’m so happy that Ghirahim is nicer to Ravio now!” Link said, and made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

“Yes,” Sidon said, closing the computer and setting it on the nightstand, “I’m sure they’re cute together.”

Link nodded, and brushed his teeth quickly so he could come back to bed with Sidon, back to his waiting arms.  He crawled in on Sidon’s side and curled up into his lap, snuggling his face into the fabric of his soft pajamas.  Sidon wrapped his arms around him and held him close, resting his chin on Link’s head and snuggling him like a stuffed animal.

“So what did you three do?” Sidon asked with something creeping into his voice that Link was beginning to understand.  In response to that thing, Link turned and spread his legs until he was straddling Sidon’s lap, and played with the fabric of his nightshirt.

“I don’t think Ghirahim or Ravio are getting enough attention from their owners,” Link said to Sidon’s chest.

“What makes you say that, darling?” Sidon asked, stroking Link’s ears.

“They’re both really,” Link paused to think, “needy.”

“I was afraid Mr Dragmire may have been neglectful,” Sidon said sadly, “He passed out in the living room, so I helped Yuga carry him to bed.  I’m not sure he’s capable of taking care of a bunny.”

“Because he’s not Hylian?” Link asked.

“No, not just because of that,” Sidon ran one hand up and down Link’s back and the other through his hair, “He just doesn’t seem to be the kind of person who is good at taking care of things.”

Link nodded and wrapped his arms around Sidon’s neck.

“I’m glad I have you to take care of me, Sidon,” he said with great sincerity, “forever.”

“I’m glad I have you to take care of, my honey bunny,” Sidon agreed, “Forever.”  He kissed Link on the top of the head and continued, “So tell me all about your night.”

“I learned what a spit-roast is!” Link said proudly, then amended, “Well…  I guess I already knew what it was, but I learned it had a name.”

“Oh?” Sidon asked with a chuckle, “How did you learn that?  What is it?”

“Ravio and Ghirahim taught me,” Link explained, and sat down on the erection he knew would be waiting to grind against him, “They’re getting along so much better.  I was kind of shocked that Hillie would leave Ravio alone with Ghirahim after he hurt him so badly. She must really trust him now!”

Sidon frowned as if that sentence had snapped him out of something, pushed whatever negative thought had crossed his mind to the back of it, and moved his hands lower to hold Link by the hips with a new, more predatory smile.

“They seem much more friendly,” he agreed, “And I know that makes my little bunny happy.”  He squeezed and kissed Link on the forehead, “Keep going.”

“Ravio was in the middle,” Link explained, “when Ghirahim asked he jumped up and accepted so fast…  he’s so fast…”

Sidon made a happy hum of acknowledgement as he pulled Link’s T-shirt over his head.

“Ravio’s not as good as Ghirahim about keeping himself steady,” Link said once he was free of the fabric, “I think he doesn’t have enough core strength.”  He tilted his head sideways, in thought, “I should tell him to do crunches, or show him some yoga centering poses.”

“You have gotten stronger,” Sidon agreed, running his hands over the muscles that now existed on Link’s stomach.  His voice dropped when he added, “And more flexible.”

“Thank you, Sidon,” Link leaned into the affection and kissed his chin.

“Tell me more,” Sidon demanded, unbuttoning Link’s pants.

“I was kind of scared,” Link admitted, “Because I didn’t want to hurt his throat.  I remember when Ghirahim first came to stay with us, we were scared his scar could come open.  But Ravio wasn’t scared at all! So I trusted him, and let him go as deep as he wanted. I think I’m getting braver.”

“You’re certainly getting more skilled,” Sidon praised as he lifted Link to lay him on his stomach beside him.

“Thank you, Sidon,” Link pushed himself up on his hands and knees to kick his pants the rest of the way off, “I’m trying.”

“You’ve always tried so hard for me, my sweet little bunny,” Sidon agreed, and climbed on top of him to hug him, “I’m so glad I have such a good bunny.  I’m so glad I met you, darling. I’m so glad you’re in my life. Tell me, again, how much you-”

“I love you, Sidon,” Link interrupted him, “I want to be yours.  Forever. Promise me that you’ll keep me-”

“Forever,” Sidon promised, and Link let out a loud moan as Sidon slid two fingers inside him.  Link liked this lube- it was the kind that tingled, and he bucked against Sidon’s hand to get more of it inside him.  

“Until the end of time, darling.” Sidon swore, and kissed down one of Link’s long ears, “I will always keep you safe, and you will always be loved.  You will never have anything to worry about. Just relax, my love.”

Link screamed when Sidon slammed inside him, but held his ground.  He spread his knees to widen his stance, and threw his head back without realizing he had.  Sidon didn’t slow his pace as he grabbed Link by the hair and reminded him, “Darling, we  _ are  _ in close quarters here, there are people on either side-”

“Sounds like Sidon’s finally doing something right,” Ghirahim’s voice was muffled, but audible with Link’s bunny hearing.

“Go the fuck to sleep,” Came the slurred voice of Mr Ganondorf, from roughly the same spot.

Sidon shoved Link’s head into the pillows, and Link let his arms collapse so it could happen.  He jerked his head to the side to breath, and tried not to scream again. He knew that Ghirahim and Mr Ganondorf wanted to get up early, and he wanted to be polite.  But he couldn’t- not with this pace, not with this roughness.

“Sidon,” he begged, “choke me!  Please!”

“Anything for you, honeybunny,” Sidon agreed, and moved the hand from his hair to his throat.  Link felt his world white out again, and when he felt the tingling in his fingers, he gave into it.  Everything was pushed back, just a little. The edges of his life glowed a soft white, and the numbness began in his tips of his fingers and toes, and moved quickly down his arms and legs, took over his torso, and had just made it to his brain when Sidon let go- and he gasped as the world hit him, full force, all at once- every nerve on edge, every sensation, inside and out, renewed and intense-

“Oh, darling, that’s perfect,” Sidon grabbed him by the ears and pulled him back to his hands and knees, but Link barely heard him over the ringing.  

 

* * *

 

Bunnies were not good with time, and Link didn’t know that he had lived with Zelda for 17 years, but he had.  He slept in her room, with all the purple, comfortable furnishings, as the decor slowly changed from dolls and dress-up clothes to storybooks and school uniforms, to make-up and sporting equipment, and now to schoolbooks and cork boards full of college acceptance papers.

She smushed his face and kissed his forehead as she spoke excitedly, and moved back to her suitcase to make sure she had everything she would need.

“Oh, Link!” She said, “The first semester is going to be the worst, because I  _ have  _ to stay on-campus and they don’t allow pets.  But after that, I’ll be old enough to rent an apartment, and I’ll come and get you!  We’ll stay together in Castle Town, and you’re going to love it!”

“I can’t wait,” Link smiled, “How long is a semester?”

“About four months,” Zelda said and handed him a print-out of her schedule, “But it’s going to seem so much longer without you!”

Link had no concept for that amount of time, and didn’t know why he had asked.  He didn’t want to pout again- Mom and Dad had already snapped at him about being so moody.  Instead, he tried to plaster on a smile, and said, “I’ll miss you so much, Zelda. I’ll wait for you.”

“Zelda!” Mom yelled, “The car is ready, Love!  We must be off!”

Zelda pulled Link into a hug, and he hugged back as hard as he could.

“I love you so much, Link,” She said, “I’ll be back for you.”

“I love you too!” Link promised, and when she left he ran to the bay window in her room, climbed into the window seat, and pressed his face to the glass to watch her as she climbed into the car.  She saw him, and waved, and he waved back.

If he had known it was going to be the last time he ever saw her, he would have paid more attention.  He would have memorized her face, her body, her hair, her voice- he would have appreciated things more.

But he just had to wait for her, like she had said.  He had cuddled up in her bed with one of her old stuffed animals, when his keen bunny hearing caught the sounds of a car returning.  Mom and Dad must be back, and he listened as their footsteps made their way upstairs, to their voices, which were low, as if they were having a conversation they didn’t want anyone to hear.

“Dangerous, and insane,” Mom was saying, “And they can turn.”

“But we’ve had him so long,” Dad said, and Link thought they were probably talking about one of the servants.  Mom always had some kind of problem with someone who worked for them.

“At our last meeting I had at least four patrollers tell me that they saw the thing ripping people apart, and he just stood there and smiled.  They’re not safe.” She argued.

“Well he isn’t exactly stable,” Dad said, “I don’t know that you can blame the pet for being trained by a lunatic.”

“They’re dangerous,” Mom insisted, “And I don’t want it in my house, around my child.”

“If you think that’s best,” Dad seemed defeated, “It is better to be safe than sorry.”

The door opened, and Link sat up to face them.

“Link, darling,” Mom said to him, “You look absolutely glum.  Would you like to go for a ride in the car?” She used the voice that she had used with him since he was a small child, and he had never liked it, and hated himself for getting excited when she used it.  “Would you like that, Link? Do you want to go for a ride? Do you want to ride in the car?”

Link felt his tail moving without his permission, and smiled up at her.

“Mom, I know what you’re doing,” He said, quietly, “And I…  I appreciate it. Thank you for… trying to make it fun until Zelda gets back.”

She smiled back at him, and the three of them piled into the car.  Dad was driving, and evening was settling in as Link sat in the back and tried to figure out where they would go.  There were so many places in town he and Zelda liked to go- the park was his favorite, but he also liked to go to her martial arts school and watch her exercise.  The pool was always fun! And there were restaurants where Link would sometimes tag along with Zelda and her friends while they sipped smoothies and giggled, talked about tests and romance- things he didn’t understand, but which were vastly interesting to him, because they meant a lot to Zelda.

He didn’t recognize the building that they parked in front of, or the part of town they were in.  It had been a little ways off from the town proper, and he was confused. Maybe it was a store of some kind.

“I’ll do it,” Dad said, “This whole thing was my idea in the first place.  I should do it.” He took a deep breath, turned around, and smiled at Link.  Link smiled back.

Dad got out, opened his door, and picked up his leash, so Link followed him.

“I can’t wait until Zelda gets back,” Link said, “I’m so excited to hear all about her new school.  She’s so nice. She’s going to make so many friends! I can’t wait to meet them when I go with her!”

Dad opened the door, they walked into a lobby, and Link froze.  It reminded him of the vet, with the little reception area, and he did  _ not _ want to be there.  His heart pounded in his ears, and he had to force himself to tune back into the conversation.

“Too old for it, I suppose,” Dad was saying.

“Well,” the man behind the desk studied Link, “Adult toys are actually the most difficult segment to rehome.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Dad said, and handed the man the leash, “He’s good with children.”

“Wha-?” Link asked, and stared at the stranger, then at dad, who seemed to just be leaving, “Dad!  Wait! What’s happening?”  
“Hey, Little Guy, it’s ok,” The man had come around the counter and was standing beside Link, “Everything is going to be alright.”

“Are you leaving?” Link asked, ignoring him, “When are you coming back!?  Dad! Dad! DAD!”

The stranger tried to shuss him, and Link reached up to unclasp his collar, then took off in a run, and grabbed Dad by the arm.

“Don’t leave me!” Link begged, “Not tonight!  It hurts too much tonight! Please! Let’s do it tomorrow!  Let’s go to the vet tomorrow! Just let me sleep in her bed, tonight!  Please!”

He looked down at Link, and his eyes softened, and he said, “Link.  Zelda is too old for toys. These nice people are going to take you, and soon you’ll find a new forever home, with a new family.”

Link’s world shattered.

He stared up in incomprehension as the stranger and his friend who dressed exactly like him came and pried his hands away from Dad.

“No!” Link shouted, “No!  You can’t leave me forever!  You can’t! Zelda is coming back for me!  She’ll want me to be there, to wait on her!  Please! Please just take care of me until then- for four months!  I’ll be so good, I’ll stay in her room and you won’t even know I’m there!  I’ll be good, I promise! I promise!”

There was sorrow in Dad’s eyes, and Link thought he might be getting through to him- but then he turned, and Link shrieked.

“No!” He screamed again, and tried to jerk away from the men who were pulling him, guiding him, away from Dad- and Dad was almost to the door!  Link had to get to him, or he would be gone, forever, and Link would be left in this strange place, and Zelda may never find him again! He leaned, hard, into one of the men, then jerked him forward.  When he stumbled, Link bit into his forearm out of instinct, hoping it would make him release his grip.

He was right, and he tasted blood.

“Please!” Link screamed as he darted for Dad again, but he was tackled this time, and the human shoved something into his mouth, but still he tried, muffled and incoherent, “ _ Please, please please please!” _

Dad stared at him in wide-eyed wonder and said, “By the goddesses…  they are violent.”

Link shook his head and tried to beg, even as he watched him climb into the car, even as he saw it drive away, even as the men dragged him through a set of double doors into a vet’s office, still he tried.

“ _ Dad!  Dad! Dad!  Dad! _ ”

 

Link shot awake to the feeling of someone shaking him, and opened his eyes to see Ghirahim’s smiling face.

“Dad!” Came Yuga’s voice from the next room, “Dad!  Dad! DAD!”

“I didn’t OD!” Ganondorf screamed back, “I’m brushing my fucking teeth!”

“Thank the goddesses!  Don’t go nonresponsive on me!  Make a sound!” Yuga said, and Link sat up.  “You’re worrying me!”

“I had a bad dream,” Link told Ghirahim.

“So did I,” Ghirahim took a long drag off his cigarette and his smile was replaced with a distant, far-away gaze.  When he exhaled, he stared at the cloud and continued, “It’s the stress.”

Sidon leaned back through the doorway holding a toothbrush, “Ghirahim, let him sleep.”

“You sleep!” Ghirahim snapped at him, “No one invited you!  Link, you get up and get ready. Don’t put on make-up; we have to go to the consultant bare-faced.”

“Ghirahim, you do realize that I’m going with you, don’t you?” Sidon asked, not unkindly, and wiped his face on a towel.

“The hell you are!” Ghirahim snapped.

Sidon rolled his eyes and stepped into the room, opened the closet, and began to lay out clothes for Link and himself.  “Did you honestly think I was going to hand Link over to Mr Ganondorf? He’s only met him twice, and you know how skittish he is.  He doesn’t do well with new places.”

“Is that true?” Ghirahim asked Link, “I actually never considered it.  I suppose I did only ever see you in the comfort of your own home.”

“I don’t like…  crowds… and stuff,” Link explained, then, to Sidon, “I had a bad dream.”

“I’m so sorry, darling,” Sidon laid out a cute outfit for Link, keeping it simple with a pair of jeans, because he knew he might have to get in and out of them if he was going to a day spa and a tailor, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I was back at the shelter,” Link said quietly.  “They all left me, Sidon… Zelda got into the car and drove away and I never saw her again…  and then Mom and Dad did the same thing…”

“Darling, you’ve never spoken about them before,” Sidon walked over to cradle his face.

“If I knew she was leaving forever…” Link began, and tears started to leak from his eyes, “I would have tried harder…  I would have remembered better… I would have  _ been  _ better…  I would have been a better bunny for Mom and Dad…  I wouldn’t have chewed the furniture when I was little, or dug in the yard, or-”

“You chewed the furniture?” Ghirahim asked in disgust, as if that was a perfectly reasonable reason to get rid of a bunny.

“You chewed off a door!” Link snapped at him, and Ghirahim took another drag from his cigarette.

“In an attempt to be gotten rid of,” Ghirahim explained as he exhaled.

“Ghirahim,” Sidon said dangerously, and sat on the bed to pull Link into his lap, “Darling, I’m so, so sorry that happened to you.  Those people are fools, and, one could argue, evil. Mrs Hyrule is a murderer. I would not give her opinion any weight, in particular.  Perhaps the goddesses set it up this way, so that you could get away from those awful people and find the person you were destined to love.  Now you know you will never be abandoned again.”

“Yeah, that’s probably it,” Ghirahim said sarcastically, and Sidon glared at him.

“Ghirahim, can you make dad this ‘hangover cure’ that he keeps going on about?  I have no clue what he’s talking-” Yuga had appeared in the doorway, but he interrupted himself when he saw Link crying, “Oh dear, what’s wrong?”

“He had a nightmare,” Sidon explained, still holding Link and running a hand up and down his back, “He was abandoned, before I adopted him.”

“The poor little thing,” Yuga frowned, and Link hid his face in Sidon’s chest.  He didn’t want anyone to see him crying.

“Little Toy,” Ghirahim explained, “Hylia is the worst kind of human.  You’re lucky she didn’t slaughter you.”

“But Zelda wasn’t,” Link whimpered.

“She probably is,” Ghirahim shrugged, “The apple never falls from the tree.  You have a habit of putting people on a pedestal if they show you the slightest bit of affection.”

“GHIRAHIM,” Ganondorf yelled, “WHERE’S MY FUCKING SMOOTHIE!?”

“Dad,” Yuga walked back into the hallway, “Hillie and Ravio are asleep!  Stop screaming!”

“Yeah,” Ganondorf’s voice was still loud, but no longer a scream, “Instant regret.  My head… I don’t know why I did that.”

Ghirahim frowned at Link, leaned in to kiss the back of his head, and then walked off to make his master his ‘cure’.

“Darling,” Sidon pulled Link back a little to look into his face, “I’m so, so sorry that you had to go through that.  But I know you, and you are a  _ good  _ bunny.  Anyone who would give you away is a fool, or incompetent, or evil.  You’re the best pet anyone could ever wish for. I love you, I cherish you, and I will  _ never  _ abandon you, because you are a  _ good  _ bunny.  That was their mistake, not yours.”

Link nodded, and wiped his eyes on his forearms.

“Say it for me,” Sidon prompted.

“I’m…” Link’s voice shook, but Sidon’s arms were strong around his back, and his chest was wide and warm in front of him, and his golden eyes were soft and loving, “I’m a good bunny.  Those people were wrong about me. And you’re going to keep me, forever. Because I’m a good bunny.”

“Good,” Sidon kissed him gently.  “Now let’s get dressed for our nice day out.  Let’s see what Lorule has to offer! We’re going to have so much fun that you’ll forget all about that terrible dream.”

“Thank you, Sidon,” Link snuggled into his chest, “I love you.”

“I love you, honey bunny.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I didn't read over this chapter before I posted it because I am literally running out the door right now and if I did I'll be late. I'll try my best to do that either when I get home or tomorrow morning. Sorry.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link has another spa day! Remember the last time he went to a groomer, way back at the beginning of the story with Ravio? Well now Ghirahim is letting Link into his world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! As always, I want to think MissGillette for inspiring me to write this, for letting me use her AU, and for not sending me angry letters now that I've gone WILDLY off the tracks!
> 
> And, also as always, I've got a tip jar if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks at me: https://ko-fi.com/takocos
> 
> Better late than never?? 
> 
> Guys I'm sorry. I had a LOT going on in meatspace and I wasn't able to upload last week. I was scared I wouldn't get back in time to upload this week either, and I know it's like 11:30 at night, but I'll be damned if I let you guys go another week of radio silence.
> 
> For actual notes, well... I'm nothing if not a huge Zelda nerd, so Gan's love of Metallica is based on a fucking prerelease screenshot of concept art of Gan in casual clothes that was eventually scrapped for Breath of the Wild. I'm pulling from non-canonical but official Nintendo sources for that one. Because I'm a fucking nerd. Get that deep lore. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DQf4-ImVoAAor1k.jpg
> 
> https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/tcrON4ZFaIHpTOtb16yuZ8OXddR_7VM8pHLATr_gHvwMnOuKZr_LQH0hBRToI2IdbnDmwFURFKY-2_fONqJsLUVqEE47cAc_e_Imw8-GmRcD552U_1rj7xrUWfyssLwiQE5xfxqW
> 
> These designs were from the same press event that showed other prerelease concept art like Link on his motorcycle: https://www.destructoid.com/ul/421769-/link%20concepts-noscale.jpg
> 
> So before yhall come at me with this musical taste being non-canonical- know that I know. But a gal can dream.

As they all piled into Ganondorf’s car, Sidon was shocked to see that he drove himself.  Ghirahim climbed into the back with Link, so Sidon was forced into the passenger seat, in close quarters with a driver who was holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a lighter in the other, lighting the cigar he held in his mouth.  He looked as if he had just rolled out of bed, plain faced in his T-shirt, jeans, and boots, with all of his hair piled into a bun on the top of his head.

“I haven’t been to this place since I was a kid,” He said, and Sidon nodded.

“I daresay Sidon has never seen the inside of a salon,” Ghirahim said in disgust, “He doesn’t moisturize properly.  I don’t know how my hair survived the stay. This. Is.  _ Angora _ .”

“Ew, you don’t,” Ganondorf sat his cup in the holder and started the car, “ashy bastard.  Nobody flick your butts this way- if it hits Sidon’s braid the damn thing might go up in flames.”

“Excuse me?” Sidon asked, gripping his seatbelt as Ganondorf turned into traffic.  “Ashy?”

Ganondorf reached out and scratched down Sidon’s forearm, then pointed to the skin he had scraped away.  “Get some fucking lotion, Hylian.”

Ghirahim giggled from the backseat, and Link was confused.

“You’ll like this place, master,” Ghirahim said, “Master Demise loved his stylist.  And perhaps what Sidon really needs is a full body pumicing.”

“Wait, we’re going to a human salon?” Sidon asked.

“No, I just like to leave the house looking like shit,” Ganondorf snarled, “It’s a hobby.”

“I think you look fine,” Sidon countered.

“Then I question your taste level,” Ganondorf sneered, and turned up the radio to drown out any more Hylian nonsense.  It was so loud that Link’s ears flattened to the side of his head, and even Sidon winced, but Ghirahim took a long drag from his cigarette, flicked the ashes into a tray he popped out from the center console, and began to sing along.

“ _ End of passion play, crumbling away _

_ I'm your source of self-destruction _ ,”

Mr Ganondorf elbowed Sidon and said, “Come on, Sidon, sing along.  You know this one!”

“ _ Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear _

_ Leading on your death's construction, _ ” Ghirahim continued, and turned to smile at Link.

“I’m afraid I don’t,” Sidon tried to hide how uncomfortable he was.

“ _ Taste me you will see, _

_ More is all you need, _ ” Ghirahim sang along with the voice on the radio, and Link watched him- he liked the way he looked, singing and happy, like he had when he had done his make-up, so Link smiled back.

“ _ You're dedicated to _

_ How I'm killing you, _ ” Ganondorf joined Ghirahim, and Sidon worried that he wasn’t paying attention to the road, which was rather busy with everyone hurrying to work in the city.

“ _ Come crawling faster _

_ Obey your MASTER! _

_ Your life burns faster _

_ Obey your MASTER! _

_ MASTER! _ ” They both sang, and Link didn’t understand why Sidon looked so miserable.  Ghirahim and Mr Ganondorf both seemed so happy, so much better than they had last night, when Mr Ganondorf had drank himself silly- which, Link was realizing, was the first time he had ever seen a human get that drunk.  He had sort of assumed that humans knew their tolerance better, knew how to handle themselves better. Mr Ganondorf was strange.

“Master!” Ghirahim shrieked, “MASTER!”  He unbuckled and shot forward, and Link realized he wasn’t singing because Sidon looked just as afraid.  Ghirahim jerked the wheel, and narrowly avoided Mr Ganondorf driving right into the car in front of them that had abruptly stopped.

“LEARN HOW TO DRIVE, ASSHOLE!” Mr Ganondorf screamed at them, and finally put both hands on the wheel.  Sidon turned down the music.

“Mr Dragmire,” Sidon asked, “Did you have anything else to drink this morning?”

But he was drowned out by Ghirahim who was frantically and loudly asking, “Master, are you alright?  Is something wrong?”

“Sit back down!” Ganondorf demanded, batting at him, until Ghirahim obeyed, and buckled back up.  He had thrown his cigarette when he jerked, but had missed the ashtray, so Link had picked it up, because it was on fire and he assumed the car was flammable.  He looked to the front seat, and all of Sidon’s attention was on the road…

He put the filter to his lips and inhaled-

Oh.

_ Oh _ .

The smoke filled his mouth and the minty, earthy taste he had always liked settled on his tongue and tickled his soft palate.  He held it there, tasting it, and exhaled out his nose while Ghirahim watched him.

“Don’t do that,” Ghirahim told him, pulling another cigarette from his case and lighting it, “You’ll get addicted.”

“Don’t do what?” Sidon asked, and turned around.  His face went white with shock and he said, “Link!?”

Link quickly stuck the cigarette in the ashtray.

“Are you serious?” Sidon asked.  “Why would you-”

“What’d he do?” Ganondorf asked, glancing back to see.

“He’s smoking!” Sidon said, aghast.

“Oh,” Ganondorf said, and completely misunderstood the problem, “Ghirahim, give him a cigarette.”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim shrugged and offered Link the cigarette case.

“No!  Link, honestly I shouldn’t have to tell you not to take that!” Sidon reached back and grabbed the entire case.

“Hey!” Ghirahim snapped, and leaned forward.

“Ghirahim SIT DOWN!” Ganondorf demanded.

“He took my cigarettes!” Ghirahim whined.

“Oh my god, you’re like children,” Ganondorf lamented, “Give him back his smokes, Sidon, the hell?”

“Link doesn’t smoke!” Sidon explained.

“Then what were you bitching about?” Ganondorf asked.

“Ghirahim gave him a cigarette,” Sidon explained.

“I did not,” Ghirahim demanded, snatching his case back, “He took it out of the ash tray.”

“Let him smoke if he wants to,” Ganondorf shrugged, “We’re here for the good time, not the long time.”

“I want Link to be healthy,” Sidon explained.

“Then why the hell did you dump all that coke in his tea?” Ganondorf asked as if he was genuinely curious, “You know that shit’ll kill ya, right?”

“I-” Sidon began, but trailed off.

“What’s coke?” Link asked, and Mr Ganondorf sneered.

“What?” he asked, and his voice shut Link right the hell up.

“He doesn’t know,” Ghirahim explained as he leaned back in his seat.

“Ok,” Ganondorf said in a voice that made it very clear he had more to say about that, but wasn’t going to get into it right now, “Everyone but Ghirahim shut the fuck up.  Ghirahim, directions. We’re close, right?”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim leaned forward, “keep right after this light and be on the lookout for the sign.”

 

The sign above the building said  _ Desert Rose Traditional Gerudo Wellness Center, Day Spa and Beauty Treatments _ , and it seemed odd to Link that this was where Ghirahim went to the groomer, because there was nothing cutsie or bunny-related about it.  There were no cute little bunny faces on the signs, no puffy letters or bright, blocked colors- it didn’t put Link at ease at all, and he didn’t like it.  He clung to Sidon’s arm as they followed Ganondorf and Ghirahim inside.

The reception area smelled like Mr Ganondorf, and Link realized it was coming from some sticks that someone had set on fire.  He tugged Sidon’s arm and pointed at them, and Sidon smiled down at him.

“Yes, it smells lovely, doesn’t it?” he asked, “Oh, look, darling, they have candles.  Would you like some to take home with us?”

Link nodded, and Ghirahim turned to them while Ganondorf spoke to a lady behind the desk.

“Oh, yeah, these are great, Demise kept them around the house.  Sandlewood is great for the bedroom,” he told Link, and leaned in to whisper, “And I bet patchouli would cover up cigarette smoke.”

“Like to get people who speak Hylian,” Ganondorf was saying when Link tuned back in, “Sidon here doesn’t speak Gerudo or Demonic.”

“Absolutely, Mr Dragmire,” the beautiful woman said in a thick accent, “I will alert the staff.  I hope you have a rejuvenating, restful day. The first thing we like our clients to do is rinse off and head to the sauna to sweat out impurities so our technicians have a clean slate to work with.”

“Perfect,” Ganondorf said with a smile, “I tried to do this mint clay thing last night but…  I need professional help.” He turned and motioned for everyone to follow him, and Ghirahim waved at the receptionist.  Their guide led them to a little room full of lockers, and handed the humans red plastic bracelets, speaking to Ganondorf in the language Link didn’t understand, even though he was pretty sure that Mr Ganondorf has specifically asked her not to.  His eyes widened when Mr Ganondorf began to strip.

“Take off all your clothes and put them in your master’s locker,” Ghirahim explained, but Link barely registered what he had said.  His eyes were glued to Mr Ganondorf’s broad chest. He had peeled his shirt off and was putting it inside the locker, and his shoulders were probably as broad as Link was tall.  He did have a layer of fat over his muscle, but Link could tell that underneath was a powerhouse. Mr Ganondorf was built for actual strength, not for show.

“Darling,” Sidon said in a voice soaked in venom that immediately got Link’s attention,, “It is impolite to stare.”

“Sidon, get naked,” Ganondorf commanded as he set his boots in the locker.

“All of us?” Sidon asked, “Not just the bunnies?”

“Why the hell would I pay for a sauna and not get in it?” Ganondorf asked, as if the idea was ridiculous, “Come on, you need to be purified.”  He clutched his necklace, which still dangled on his broad chest, and struggled out of his pants, mumbling under his breath, “Goddamn I’ve gained so much weight…”

Link couldn’t breath.  His lungs refused to work.  It just wasn’t going to happen.  He was going to die, right here in this changing room, staring at Mr Dragmire.

How the hell did Ghirahim do it?

The thing was thicker than his forearm!  Why!? Was that even something you were proud of, at that point, or was that something you keep to yourself!?  And he wasn’t even hard- it would get BIGGER. That was just… unnecessary. What were you even supposed to DO with something like that?  How would it even work?

“Kid,” Ganondorf snapped his fingers and Link jerked his gaze to the sound, “My eyes are up here.”

“Link!” Sidon scolded as Link tried not to pass out from the blood rushing to his face, “Honestly!  Stop staring at Mr Dragmire! Ganondorf, I’m so sorry, he isn’t used to all this excitement.”

“He isn’t used a real dick,” Ghirahim slid the last of his clothes into their locker and slammed it shut, “Come on, Little Toy, we’re all waiting on you, and you’re standing between me and my overdue detox.  That is not a wise place to stand.”

“This is his first time in a spa,” Sidon explained, “And we are very appreciative, but he gets overwhelmed so easily…  perhaps we should go back to the hotel.”

“He’ll be fine,” Ganondorf brushed aside Sidon’s concerns, “Why do you baby him so much?  Isn’t he about the same age as Ghirahim?”

“Mr Dragmire,” Sidon explained as he helped Link undress, “Link has been through quite a bit in his life.  He was abandoned by his first owners, and he wasn’t bred for adult companionship, as Ghirahim was. He began his life as a toy bunny.  Much of this stimuli is quite new to him.”

“Is that why you call him ‘Little Toy’?” Ganondorf asked Ghirahim, “I thought you were just being a bitch.”

“It’s a bit of both,” Ghirahim said with a smirk, then stepped forward and slapped Link full in the face. 

Link blinked at him, in shock, rubbed his face, blinked again, and narrowed his eyes.

“Ghirahim!” Sidon and Ganondorf had both snapped, but Ghirahim shrugged.

“He needed that.  His eyes were glazed over.  He was disassociating. And I don’t have time for him to break down because of his weird anti-sex attitude and fear of new environments.  I want a seaweed wrap and a hot stone massage!” Ghirahim explained.

“I swear to all three goddesses I will put you on a leash,” Ganondorf said as if he didn’t actually mean it.

“I deserve this!” Ghirahim told Link, “So get your shit together and have fun!”

Link nodded.

 

They all sat in tiny wooden room, and Link wondered when the fun was supposed to start.  He had been forced to walk under a little waterfall before he was allowed in, and he thought it was way too hot as he squirmed on the uncomfortable bench.

No one else, not even Sidon, seemed to share his opinion.  His companions all looked perfectly relaxed, and he watched Mr Ganondorf lean forward and splash a large spoonful of water onto a pile of rocks that seemed to be the source of the heat.  A cloud of mist filled the room, and settled into Link’s lungs, and he tried to lean back in the same way everyone else had, to relax. He leaned into Sidon’s chest, and Sidon put a comforting arm around him.

Ghirahim leaned onto Mr Ganondorf, and he shoved him off.

“Ew, get off me,” Ganondorf said, “It’s literally a sauna, Ghirahim, what the hell makes you think I want body heat?  It’s all gross and sweaty.”

“Sorry, master,” Ghirahim sighed, and leaned back on his own arms instead, watching Link, who was leaning against Sidon with his eyes closed as if he may fall asleep.

“This place is so nice,” Sidon said, and Ganondorf nodded.

“Yeah, I used to come here with dad,” Ganondorf agreed, “They do good work, too.  You leave looking great, which is what we need, especially Ghirahim. He’s going to look presentable tomorrow.  We’re gonna pin his hair back so you can see his whole face, or slick it up or something. I don’t know.”

“Master wants them to see the sincerity in my eyes,” Ghirahim explained.  “Little Toy, are you awake?” Link nodded. “You’ve never been to a spa before?” Link shook his head.

“We don’t travel much,” Sidon explained to Ganondorf, “He’s just so skittish…”

“Yeah, he sure is,” Ganondorf agreed, leaning back, “I don’t trust the quiet kids.  They’re the ones who snap and wind up killing you in your bed one day.”

Link opened his eyes and held intense eye contact with Mr Ganondorf, trying to channel how insulted he was into that one look.

“Link isn’t dangerous at all,” Sidon argued, just as insulted, “he’s a very good bunny.  I’ve had no trouble out of him.”

“Yeah?” Ganondorf asked, confused, “So that’s not the one that ripped Ghirahim’s arm open?”

“He…  is, yes,” Sidon admitted, “but he had a good reason.”

“I’ve had a good reason for every violent thing I’ve ever done,” Ghirahim agreed, “We’re the same, Little Toy.”

Link nodded because he agreed with that, and he was happy to have made another bunny friend.  Part of him wished that Ravio had come with them, though. He had still been asleep when they left, but Link knew that Hillie wasn’t feeling very good, and he hoped that Ravio was taking care of her.  They should get them a present! The sign outside had said ‘wellness’- that might mean something like ‘get well’. He crawled onto Sidon’s lap, facing him, hoping that if he didn’t have to look at Mr Ganondorf he would be able to ask him if he could get a present for Ravio.

“Oh, darling, not here,” Sidon held him by the hips and slowly slid him off his lap, “I can see how you would think that, but no- this is still a public place, and we have no supplies.”

“Come here, Little Toy,” Ghirahim lept to the same conclusion, “I’ll play with you.”

“By the goddesses,” Ganondorf massaged his temples, “Are you things  _ always  _ on?” 

“Cuddlebunnies are affectionate,’ Sidon explained, scratching Link between the ears, “but Ghirahim I really don’t think that’s allowed here.”

Link frowned, squirmed, and covered his crotch with his hands.  That wasn’t what he had meant! But… he was having a really difficult time, and he did wish everyone wasn’t naked…

“Nonsense,” Ghirahim leaned over and stroked Link’s face, “I can do anything I like.  When my Master Demise and I used to come here-”

“Nope,” Ganondorf put one hand on his chest and pushed him back, “Don’t finish that story.  I told you, no sex stories about my dad. It’s great that you liked it, but I don’t need to hear about it.”  He rolled his eyes and said to Sidon, “You share a voe- er, a bunny, and you have to hear shit like that.”

“I’m not comparing you,” Ghirahim said as if he had been told not to compare them.

“Ghirahim, just put your dick away and shut up for five goddamn minutes,” Ganondorf leaned back and closed his eyes, “I’m trying to sweat out all my impurities, and I would like to meditate and pray to symbolically rid myself of mental impurities as well, so can everyone, please, just shut the fuck up?  Like Link?”

Link watched him as he spread out his arms, palms up, leaned back and closed his eyes, and mimiced him.  It was a really relaxing posture, and the heat that had settled around him with the vapor, like a living thing, made the air heavy and weighed him down.  It made him sleepy, and made his brain feel funny. He could see the symbol from Mr Ganondorf’s necklace behind his closed eyelids, and thought of the book Sidon had read to him.

The triangles began to spin, and Link thought of the picture from that book.  He saw the three goddesses, the three triangles, and thought of the things the book said, about the natural order that they had created, about how Hylians were supposed to watch out for everyone else.  He thought of Mom, and how she had killed Ghirahim’s master, hurt not just Demise but the people he was supposed to take care of. He saw the triangles spin, and wondered why there was a triangle-shaped hole in the middle.  He thought of what the book had said, about how the Hylians could hear the voices of the gods, and of the three people who were supposed to awaken as avatars. He wondered when that would happen. He wanted Sidon to read more of that book to him, but they had left it at home.  They really needed to concentrate on the trial.

Link wondered what had happened when Zelda had come home, four months later.  If she had known he was at the shelter, why didn’t she come looking for him? Sidon had said he was there for a year, and a year was longer than four months.  She could have found him, couldn’t she? She was really good at getting around the city, took Link all kinds of places…

Maybe she didn’t look for him because she was happy without him.  Maybe she knew that it was time for Link to move on, to make someone else as happy as he had made her, so he could find his love, like Sidon had said.  Maybe Zelda knew Mom was dangerous, was going to kill someone, and didn’t want Link to get hurt. Link hoped she was alright.

Link hoped Mr Ganondorf was alright.  He had never seen another human get blackout drunk before.  Sidon had said that he and Yuga had packed him to bed, because he couldn’t walk by himself.  Mr Ganondorf was heavy… Sidon and Yuga must be really strong.

Link hoped that Hillie would feel better, and that Ravio would learn how to share love so they could all be happy.  Yuga seemed pretty nice to Link, and Hillie liked him so much! Link wondered if he would be jealous, if Sidon found another human lover.  He didn’t think he would. He thought he would just have two humans. He had wondered, before, why Sidon didn’t marry Hillie, but now he thought it might be because Hillie had a different person she wanted to marry, but Link had thought, before, that she and Sidon and he and Ravio could all live together.

His thoughts tumbled around, jumbled in his mind, and he was afraid he may fall asleep, but if he did, it was alright.  He was leaning against Sidon, who was stroking his long ears, and that meant that Sidon was there to protect him. 

Link loved Sidon.

He had been scared that he couldn’t, because his love was so different from anything he had ever experienced before, but now he knew that he did.  He loved him, even the part that had once scared him, and it was so comforting to know that he loved and was loved in return. He could hear Sidon’s heart beating in his chest, feel the blood flowing through his veins and the air inflating and deflating his lungs, and he was happy, even though they were both slick with sweat and probably smelled terrible.

“Our time’s up,” Ganondorf said, “Let’s hit the bathing pools for our body scrubs.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, listen to the Unforgiven and tell me Gan wouldn't love that song.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g57HMAm-FqA
> 
> Hey, yhall wanna watch me play Zelda? I'm shockingly bad at my favorite game. Come, make fun of the old lady! It'll be fun! I'm a big ol' nerd and this was filmed some time ago before I got real familiar with the new timeline so you can kind of watch me learn it!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBNUvrwtsvg&list=PLq9RN0Mxi3F6MOCHKrcimXmY4D6Y00hpo&index=1


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link finally gets his pubes dealt with, and Sidon gets even more uncomfortable!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so I really need to sit down and write some more on this. You guys are catching up to me. The only thing that I can think to warn about in this chapter is that Sidon is AGGRESSIVELY pursued. It's purposefully kept ambiguous and I'll talk more about it in the notes at the bottom.
> 
> As always, I want to thank MissGillette for her amazing AU! And for letting me run it into the ground.
> 
> If anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/takocos

They had to take another shower before they were allowed into a room that was full of pools of water, soft tables, and naked ladies.

Link was  _ shook. _  He had never seen so many naked humans outside of a movie before, and buried his face in Sidon’s chest so he wouldn’t stare.  He didn’t trust himself to keep his eyes to himself, and blindly followed Sidon until he spoke.

“Darling, I have to get on the table now,” Sidon said in a soothing voice.

Ganondorf was sitting on a table, talking to one of the few clothed people in the room in that language again, but Link didn’t want to stare at him either, so he turned his gaze to Ghirahim, who was climbing onto another table.

“I need a full body wax,” Ghirahim explained to the lady, who, Link realized, was a Gerudo, like Ganondorf.  He took a chance and let his eyes scan the room again, and realized that they almost all were. Sidon was the only Hylian in the place, and he and Ghirahim were two of only a handful of bunnies.  He suspected that this place wasn’t meant for bunnies. He was in a Gerudo space, and it made him feel strange. It didn’t seem to bother Ghirahim at all, though, because he continued, “And so does my friend, Link.”

Link shook his head, but Sidon, from the position he had taken lying on the table next to Mr Ganondorf, said, “It’s alright, Link.  I meant to wax you myself, but I never got around to it, because someone,” he looked at Ghirahim, “couldn’t behave himself long enough.”

Link nodded, and climbed onto the table next to Ghirahim’s.

“I will warn you,” Ghirahim said to the lady standing next to Link, “that he’s never had this done before, and he’s scared of literally everything.”

“Alright,” She said in her thick accent, “Then let me explain what I am going to do.”  She stirred something in a bowl with a stick, and lifted said stick, so Link could see some kind of viscous liquid drip from it, “I will apply this wax to your body hair, then cover it with these fabric strips.”  Link nodded and looked at the strips she held up. “Then I will tear them away, and your hair will come with them. It will hurt, but afterwards I will rub you down with a soothing tincture.”

Link whimpered and Ghirahim rolled his eyes.

“It doesn’t hurt that badly, Little Toy,” He said as if he thought Link was being ridiculous, “Far less than a sword to the chest.”  

He indicated his scar, and Link felt ridiculous.  No wonder Ghirahim thought he was weak.  Well, he wasn’t going to be a scared little shelter toy anymore!  He was going to be a real cuddlebunny! He sat up on his elbows and watched as Ghirahim’s technician spread the wax on his calf, topped it with the strips, and pulled them away, exactly like the lady had described.  Ghirahim didn’t even seem to feel it. Link looked up at the lady standing over him and nodded.

She spread the wax with the stick, and Link jumped.  HOT! It was hot!

“By the goddesses,” Ghirahim rolled his eyes at him, “You jumped.  Are you going to run? Is that how you’re going to live your life? You retreat at the first sign of danger?  Like a nutsack?”

“Ghirahim, don’t call people ‘nutsacks’!” Sidon said, but Ganondorf had laughed, which robbed the command of most of its power.

Link glared at him, and nodded to the lady again, so she went back to spreading the wax.  Now that he expected it, it didn’t really hurt much at all. Then she pulled.

And he screamed.

Everyone in the room was staring at him, and Sidon had turned bright red with embarrassment.  Ghirahim looked genuinely confused. The women and bunnies in the pools went right back to murmuring, and Link wanted to die.

“Nutsack,” Ghirahim accused again, and Link thought he might cry.

“Should I keep going?” His technician asked in her pretty accent, and Link tried to get his breathing under control.  “If he cannot handle that,” she commented to the woman working on Ghirahim as he turned to lay on his face, “the scrotal wax may kill him.”

“Do it last,” The other explained, “maybe he will build up a tolerance.”

Link waited until she looked at him again before he nodded.  He could do it! He could! Ghirahim was a bunny too, and he didn’t care at all!  Link was NOT going to be a baby about this! He thought that maybe if he didn’t look it wouldn’t be so bad- so he turned to see Sidon, who winced, but seemed otherwise unaffected, and Ganondorf, who was carrying on a conversation as if nothing was happening, apparently about his eyebrows, because he kept motioning to them.  Link thought he had really bushy eyebrows- then he thought nothing as she yanked off the next strip.

“This lasts longer than the clippers,” Ghirahim explained, “which you were apparently  _ also  _ scared of.  Honestly, Little Toy, your ignorance and fear has lost any of the cuteness you may have once had.  Now it’s just annoying.”

Link nodded and winced again as she pulled another strip from his legs.  Once he knew it was coming, it wasn’t that bad at all. He just had to get used to it.  He kept that thought in his head exactly as long as it took her to lay down the next row of strips, but as soon as she pulled, he went back to thinking that it  _ did  _ hurt, and that he  _ hated  _ it, but he wasn’t going to scream again.

It seemed as if it would never end!  There was just so much, and he tried so hard not to think about the groomer, or the shelter- at least here there were no loud machines, and no one screaming except him the very first time!  But… here there was no wall between him and the other customers, and they all seemed to think he was as wimpy as Ghirahim did. The technician kept her word, and saved the worst for last.

“I have heard this is the most painful,” she explained, as Link looked at the place his pubic hair had been, trying to see what she was doing, though he already knew, as he felt her spread the wax.  “Hold very still. The skin is loose and thin.”

Link nodded- and she pulled.

To his credit, he didn’t scream, but he clung to the table and felt every muscle inside him jump at the pain.

“Good boy,” she praised, “I will do small strips so it will be less painful, and have less chance of tearing.  And then you will be finished.”

“Well done, darling,” Sidon praised as she ripped off the next strip, and again Link didn’t scream.

Link head Ghirahim moan, and turned his eyes to him.  He was lying on his stomach while the lady working on him rubbed an oil all over his body.  She was working on his back, and it apparently felt amazing, because he was making the kinds of sounds that Link thought were reserved for sex.

“All finished!” The lady promised, and clapped her hands together, “Doesn’t that feel much better?”

Link smiled and nodded.

“Roll over for me,” she commanded, and Link did.  He felt her roll his hair around and clip it into place, and then gasped as he felt the warm oil hit his back.  He whimpered and nuzzled into the table as she spread her hands on his shoulders and moved the oil up to his neck, rubbing it in.  Her hands were strong, and she pushed so hard he could feel it in the muscle- he hadn’t realized how tense he had been until the muscles in his neck, where she pressed, unclenched, relaxed, and turned to goo.  He let out the same sound Ghirahim had made.

“I told you they were good,” Link could hear the snide smirk in Ghirahim’s voice, but he didn’t register it, because the lady had moved her hands to his shoulders, and he felt the same thing happening to the muscles there.  Link hadn’t even realized that he had been in pain until it was gone. He had spent so long hunched up in fear, built up so much tension, that it was his normal. As his technician’s skilled hands broke away the knots and tauntness, he wondered if this, this complete absence of pain, this complete relaxation, was how bunnies were supposed to feel.  If Ravio felt like this all the time, it was no wonder he was normally so happy.

She moved over his whole body, not just his torso, but also his arms and legs, rubbing the oil right down to the bone and turning all his muscles to mush, and Link heard her giggling at the way his tail thumped every time she worked through a knot.  She playfully slapped him on the hip and instructed, “Turn over.”

She went to work in exactly the same way, moving down his chest, and when she got to his stomach, she burst into full blown laughter, and turned to say something to her coworkers.  Link caught the word ‘voe’ again, and when they all started laughing, he leaned up to see why- and blushed.

Ghirahim said something in their language back to them, and the woman looked down at Link’s red face.

“Oh, I am sorry, how unprofessional,” She said, but still she held a grin, “We do not have many male clients.”

“We can’t control it,” Ghirahim argued, and Link realized he was trying to come to his defense.

“I am so sorry!” Sidon said, as if he was as embarrassed as Link, “He’s a cuddlebunny!  They’re very… active. The slightest thing can set them off!”

Ganondorf was laughing as much as the employees, and Link glared at him.  He was male too! He should be on Link’s side!

“Just lie back down,” The technician guided Link back down by his shoulders, “And I will work,” she giggled again, “around it.”

Link nodded and tried to relax, and in a few minutes under her soothing touch, the embarrassment, like all his other stressors, fell away as if it had never happened.  He was half asleep by the time she smacked him on the hip again, and he opened his eyes and looked up at her.

“Here,” she told him, “sit up.”  He did and she smiled, “I will let you do that last bit- the last thing we need is another sexual harassment lawsuit.”  Link nodded, though he didn’t understand the thing she had just said, and let her pour the oil onto his hands. He thought that she would give him more instructions, but she turned her back on him to prepare something else in another bowl like the wax had been in.

“For fuck’s sake, Little Toy,” Ghirahim was also sitting up, and looked slick and beautiful and relaxed, “rub it on your dick.  Don’t jack off, just rub it in.”

Link nodded, and did that, trying to think of the least sexy things he could- though he was in the worst possible place to do so- then wiped his hands on the towel the lady handed him.

“Now,” the lady explained as she returned, “You need to give that oil at least 15 minutes to work before you rinse and head to the first pool, so we’re going to go ahead and do the facial masks while we wait.  This is a mint julip clay mask. Hold still and let me get it on, and it should tingle as it pulls all the impurities from your pores.”

Link nodded, and let her apply the clay to his face.  It smelled so good! And he liked the way it felt on his skin.  She was finished with that much more quickly, and smiled at him.  Link moved a hand up to touch it and she scolded him.

“No, no, let it dry.” 

So Link nodded.

“We’ll be back to check on you in 15 minutes,” she said, and Link realized that she was the last of her cohorts left with them.  She walked back to her workstation, and busied herself with cleaning it up and, he suspected, readying it for her next client.

“I feel so much more like myself already,” Ghirahim proclaimed, and smiled as yet another lady dressed like the others walked up with a tray.

“Let’s see,” She said, reading a ticket, “I have two organic paelo-vegan detox-”

Ghirahim raised his hand and then pointed at Link, and Link sat up and took the smoothie she offered him.  He nodded in thanks but she didn’t see him, because she was back to the ticket.

“One green tea energy extract with weight-loss booster,” She read and Ganondorf took it from her looking as if he wished she hadn’t read his order out loud.

“And you must have the SPA skin cleanser,” She said to Sidon, and handed him the last one.  “You lad-gentleman let me know if you need anything else!” she packed up her tray and left the way she had come.

“Mr Dragmire, this is so kind of you,” Sidon said as he drank his smoothie and pretended to like it, “You have been so generous.”

“Don’t thank me, thank Ghirahim,” Ganondorf said, “This is payback for teaching him.”

“I learned absolutely nothing from Sidon,” Ghirahim sneered, “And I still resent the fact that you left me there with him!”

“The fuck did I tell you about negativity and your goddamn attitude today?” Ganondorf asked, and Ghirahim sighed.

“You’re right, master.” He said, and turned back to Link, apparently deciding to tune out the humans and break the conversation in half.  “Do you see, Little Toy? This is how I am  _ used  _ to living.  I don’t see how you could stand being cooped up with Sidon in that house all the time.”

Link rolled his eyes and sipped his smoothie.  It was delicious, and still had chunks of berries inside that he had to really work to suck through the straw.  But he liked it here, for the most part- Ghirahim was right. He was relaxed and happy- in public, which was a feat.  And he was pretty sure he could feel his skin clearing up, feel the mask sucking out dirt he didn’t even realize he had on his face.

Ghirahim took out the barrett holding his hair, twisted the locks that normally fell into his face more tightly, and clipped them back into place without touching the mask, as if it was something he did all the time, and Link thought about the drastic change in his lifestyle that he had had while he stayed with them.  He climbed off of his own table and went to sit with him, and Ghirahim seemed surprised. Link took his hand and squeezed it, and Ghirahim stared at their clasped hands in confusion.

He picked up his smoothie and sipped it, then raised their hands and stared hard at Link’s as if it displeased him.  The word ‘Sidon” stood out on Link’s nails, and Ghirahim no longer thought it was as cute as he had the first time he had seen it.

“Your cuticles are a nightmare,” he said at length, “You need this almost more than I do.”

“Yes, he needs his nails trimmed again,” Sidon agreed, “He’s tearing my skin off.”

“Why?” Ganondorf asked.

“He scratches when Sidon fucks him too hard,” Ghirahim explained.

“Then don’t fuck him that hard,” Ganondorf said as if it was the obvious solution, “He’s kind of little anyway.  Wait, are you fucking him? Like putting your dick in him?”

“I…  don’t know that this public venue is the place to have this conversation,” Sidon said and took the lid off of his smoothie to examine the contents.

“That’s so backwards,” Ganondorf said, “I thought he was the voe in the situation.  You’re so much bigger than him. That’d be like if Hylians were bigger than Gerudo. The goddesses made us this way for a reason.”

“I disagree, master,” Ghirahim turned to look at them, “One can get spoiled by girth.  I daresay that may be why you have so many petitioners. It would be difficult to go back to a Hylan after one has gotten used to you.”

“No one gets used to me,” Ganondorf said as if Ghirahim had said something that annoyed him, “They get one chance.  I’m swamped. I’m not a machine.”

“What is a petitioner?” Sidon asked, with a genuine curiosity Link rarely saw in him.

“Sidon, you might have noticed,” Ganondorf explained, “That guys like me are pretty rare.  So most people, they want a kid, they have to go to a Hylian, to a voe. But it’s traditional in our tribe that I…  make myself available. My offspring will be stronger, will be true Gerudo.”

“Oh,” Sidon said, processing that information, “How…  how many children do you have?”

“Those wouldn’t be my kids,” Ganondorf explained, “I wouldn’t be their mother.  I’m just donating my impressive DNA. I’ve only raised Yuga. I’ve only got one kid.  And he gets on my goddamn nerves, nagging the shit outta me. But I get it. He’s worried.  Doesn’t want to see me go down after what just happened with his grampa.”

“He seems like a nice young man,” Sidon said, “Hillie adores him.”

“Don’t know why the hell he couldn’t have married in the tribe,” Ganondorf snarled.  “Hooked up with a Hylian.”

“Is that uncommon?” Sidon asked, looking as offended as he was.

“He’s a male,” Ganondorf explained, “It’s inexcusable.  He has a duty to the tribe.”

“I don’t know that they’re planning a wedding,” Ghirahim said, looking at his own nails, which were less ragged than they had been when Link had last seen him, but just as short.

“At least there’s that,” Ganondorf huffed.

“I still don’t see what would be wrong with marrying a Hylian,” Sidon said defensively, “There’s nothing wrong with Hylians.”

“Right,” Ganondorf said, staring at Sidon in a way that made Link uncomfortable.

“Master, can I get acrylics?” Ghirahm asked.

“I don’t know,” Ganondorf looked at his own nails, “Maybe get gels.  That’s what I’m going to do. I feel like it lasts longer. My nail-bed is huge and I don’t look good if they get real long.  You’ve got those slender little fingers like Nabby, you can pull that off, but you’ll lose thumb wars. Oh, and like Sidon. Look at his hands- holy shit look at his hands.”

He grabbed Sidon’s hand and held it up, then made a face.

“Goddamn, Hylians have no sense of grooming.  Ashy skin and your nails look like they’ve never been filed- why are your cuticles so huge?  By the goddesses, do something about that.” He set his empty glass down and shoved back the cuticle on Sidon’s thumb with his own thumbnail.  Sidon winced and pulled his hand away.

“What are you doing?” He asked and looked at it.

“You look awful.” Ganondorf told him.

“You really do,” Ghirahim agreed, “there were no standards at his house, master.  I was so miserable. He doesn’t set them for himself, let alone for poor Link.”

“Link looks alright,” Ganondorf said.

“I have no need to polish my nails,” Sidon said defensively.

“It’s not just your nails,” Ganondorf stretched and seemed pleased that there was no crack in his back, “Your hair’s all bushy and messy, you have combination skin that you never take care of, and before we got undressed you looked like you stepped out of 1895.”

“Their wardrobes,” Ghirahim said and held his hands in front of him, closed his eyes, and took deep, soothing breaths, “literally make my blood boil.  Everything Link owned looked as if it had been purchased at a  _ chain store _ .”

“That’s how those Hylians live,” Ganondorf said, “fucking off-the-rackers.  We’re going to sit you down and make you watch a documentary about the fast fashion industry.”

“I…  admire your honesty,” Sidon said, and reached for the necklace that wasn’t there.  Link watched his face briefly contort in panic before he remembered it was back in his locker.

“Sidon needs a fix,” Ghirahim pointed at him.

“Oh,” Ganondorf drained the last of his smoothie, “We can do that after the pools.  I might step out for a smoke. I’m not putting pants on for it, though. They’ve got robes.”

“I’m fine,” Sidon said.

“Yeah?  Oh shit- Ghirahim, did you give Link a detox smoothie?” Ganondorf asked, and Ghirahim nodded, “That might speed up the dts.  Sidon, make sure you get him a hit, too.” 

Ganondorf stood and rang a little bell on the table the women had used to prepare their waxes, masks, and whatnot- which apparently summoned the employee who had worked on him.  They spoke briefly, and she pointed him in a direction that should have been obvious to them. Link suspected that he was asking for her permission rather than directions. He turned, smiled at them, and led them to a waterfall that cascaded by one long wall- there was another on the opposite wall, and between them were several large bathing pools that Link did not know mimicked the public baths that had been used in Gerudo culture for centuries.

Once they were clean, Ganondorf and Ghirahim climbed into the first pool, and Link and Sidon followed them.  Link immediately wanted to get back out, and began to squirm. It was so hot it made his skin turn pink, then red- but when he turned to look at Ghirahim, he wasn’t squirming at all.  He had spread his arms on the tile behind him, and was letting Ganondorf put a washcloth on his head from the wooden buckets that lined the baths. Sidon copied him exactly, and guided Link to the same position- and his world went dark.

The cloth was as hot as the bath, and his head swam from it.  His body went still without his vision, and the less he moved, the less it burned.  His body had finally began to adjust to the heat when Sidon took the cloth from his eyes.  He watched Ghirahim and Ganondorf get out and move into the next pool, and as Sidon took his hand to guide him out, he noticed a group of women behind them, apparently waiting on them to move.

“So it isn’t exactly a hot tub, then?” Sidon asked, and gasped as the icy water of the next pool hit him.

“What?” Ganondorf asked, “No, not a hot tub.  You shock your system. You go hot, then cold, hot then cold.  It’s good for you. Then we do the other showers and get out.”

“And move on to our full body scrubs!” Ghirahim said excitedly as Link felt his teeth chattering, “And seaweed wraps.  Then the hot stone massage, the mani-pedis, and getting our hair done.”

“That’s gonna take a while,” Ganondorf reminded him, “I’m getting those twists.  It’ll take two or three hours.”

“Two or three hours?” Sidon asked as if the concept was ridiculous.

“Beauty takes time, Hylian,” Ganondorf said, and looked perfectly relaxed as if they weren’t sitting in ice.

“Are you Ganondorf Dragmire?” Two women had walked up to their tub, and one of them spoke as Link climbed into Sidon’s lap to siphon his body heat.

“Yes.” Ganondorf said simply, and tilted his head back to look at her.

“I know this is probably a bad time,” She began, looking as if she just didn’t have time to be embarrassed, but knew she should be, “but this is my wife, Nufuto, and she is ovulating right-”

“I take petitioners through my website,” Ganondorf said, looking angry.

“But the list is so long!” Nufuto had the decency to look embarrassed, “And you are here right now, and we thought, surely this was a sign from the goddesses-”

Her wife shook her head.

“I have to go, tomorrow,” Ganondorf snarled, “To see my father’s murderer!  Do you really think this is a good time for this!?”

Ghirahim looked as insulted as Ganondorf, but Link really just wanted to get out of the pool.

“Of course,” Nufuto’s wife took her by the shoulders to lead her away, whispering to her, probably too low for the humans to make out, but Link caught, “I told you not to bother him.  It’s been all over the news.”

“But we’ve had such a difficult time,” Nufuto argued, “If we want to try this month it needs to be today.  And he just showed up! At the same spa!” She turned, and in a louder voice asked, “Is that your voe?”

Ghirahim grinned and answered for him, “Sidon?  No, he’s not Master Ganondorf’s voe. He hasn’t been claimed by anyone, have you Sidon?”

“I…  I don’t understand,” Sidon glanced from Ghirahim to Ganondorf to the women.

“He’s tall, for a Hylian,” Nufuto’s wife reasoned, “And he looks to be in good shape.  Sidon, is your name?”

“I think there’s been some mistake,” Sidon put on his most polite smile.

“Are you healthy?” She interrupted, “Do you have any hereditary diseases?”

“I’m sorry?” Sidon asked, and his grip on Link tightened.

“We could do it right now,” Nufuto said, as if she was growing excited, “I could take him out to the car?  I don’t think it takes long.”

“I think you have the wrong idea,” Sidon explained.

“It doesn’t take him long,” Ghirahim agreed, “I’ve had him before.  And he produces a lot of sperm, doesn’t he, Link?”

Link was confused, cold, and not really following the conversation, but that was true of Sidon, so he nodded.  He really did, and it was a little bit annoying because it did seem a little bit excessive sometimes. He would have two or three squirts when you weren’t expecting it, and it was easy to get it in your eye, or your hands- that was the worst because Sidon would make you lick it up, and Link just never had developed the taste that everyone kept telling him he would.

“Well, make a decision,” Ganondorf said and stood, “We’re holding up the next group.  Come on, Ghirahim.”

“I…” Sidon didn’t want to get out of the pool.  Even if he was tall “for a Hylian”, the Gerudo towered over him, and his tension and body language told Link that something was going on that Sidon didn’t want.  He looked to the women who were staring down at Sidon expectantly. He stood and took Sidon’s hand.

Ghirahim stood to follow his master, and smirked at Sidon in a way that Link didn’t like, and climbed out of the pool.

“Is that your voe?” Link jerked his head to see that another couple had appeared, and behind them, a small crowd was forming.

“No,” Nufuto’s wife explained, “No one has claimed him.”

“I…  that is…  Ganondorf?” Sidon asked.

“Sidon, get out of the pool, you’re holding up the works!” Ganondorf snapped at him.

“I’m naked,” Sidon said as if it meant something, and Ganondorf looked at him as if it very obviously didn’t.  Link didn’t understand what he meant either- Sidon had a weird thing about wanting to wear clothes all the time.

“Let’s get a good look at him,” One of the the women on the other side of the pool grabbed Sidon and pulled him up right out of Link’s hands.  She tugged him out of the pool and over the side, and the look of panic on his face made Link’s blood boil. He saw red, and he had tackled her before he realized he had moved.

There was splashing and shouting, the sound of a whistle, and his vision blurred as his head slammed into the tile floor.  He felt the familiar weight of Ghirahim on top of him, and heard his voice as he chuckled, “And they said I was the dangerous one.”

“You ok?” Ganondorf was asking, and apparently directed at Sidon, “Control your goddamn pet!”

Link felt disconnected, as if his brain wasn’t functioning properly.  It wasn’t exactly like being drunk, but close enough that it worried him, because he knew he wasn’t drunk.  He didn’t connect it to the rage, or the way his head hit the tile, but everything moved slowly and behind a white curtain.

“If I let you up, are you going to be good?” Ghirahim asked.

“She was gonna hurt Sidon!” Link explained.

“No she wasn’t,” Ghirahim promised, giggled, and said, “Worse case scenario, he would have gotten- oh, wait, I’m not supposed to say that around you, nevermind.  It’s apparently not anything Sidon considered worth getting upset over.”

Ganondorf was addressing the crowd in his native language, and whatever he said seemed to have worked, because Link watched him jerk Sidon up by the arm and take long, intense strides out of the room.

“Ugh,” Ghirahim helped Link up and held him by the arm as well to follow them, “Your master is ruining my spa day!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you guys know, no one was actually going to rape Sidon, they were just being really pushy. That's why Ganondorf didn't understand why he was scared- he deals with that kind of shit all the time. What Link saw as an attack was literally just someone pulling Sidon to his feet. Because this story is mostly Link's POV I wanted to make that clear. Gan had said in an earlier chapter that this is set in a world AFTER Gerudo people started taking classes on consent and whatnot. Still pretty inappropriate but honestly, if you look at some of the answers that the sex-ed teacher was counting as correct in BOTW this is about the level that I feel the general Gerudo populace understands consent. Like... literally that teacher considered kidnapping a man until he got Stockholme's Syndrome a correct answer.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf is DONE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this is a bit of a short chapter. I'm going to be straight with you: You guys have caught up to me and I didn't have a lot of time to write this week.
> 
> As always, I wanna thank MissGillette, and suggest everyone go check out her work!  
> Also as always, I have a ko-fi if anyone wants to leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/takocos
> 
> This chapter is all about fallout. The tension that has been building in the Dragmire household finally comes to a tipping point, with Link and Sidon stuck in the middle.

Ghirahim tugged Link into the mostly empty locker room before Link was willing to speak.

“Were they gonna rape him?” Link asked.

“Oh, look who suddenly gives a shit about consent,” Ghirahim snarled, “Where the fuck was that with me!?”

Link blinked at him and didn’t understand his anger.

“Fucking voe should never travel without an escort, I swear to god,” Ganondorf said as Sidon sat on a bench behind him, staring ahead and seeing nothing.  Ganondorf ripped open Sidon’s locker using the key that had been around his wrist, and rummaged around until he found his necklace. He dangled it in front of him as if it was a cat toy, and Sidon slowly reached up and took it.

“Thank you, Mr Dragmire,” he said slowly, and Link didn’t like how shaken up he looked.  Sidon was always so confident.

“Stop shaking,” Ganondorf demanded, “You’re here to relax.”  He turned on Link with a scowl, then marched up to him, “And you.  Kid, you can’t attack people. You’re going to get yourself killed.  You need to calm down. No one was going to hurt him. Look at me.” He said this even though Link had never looked away, “You’re fucking crazy.  I know crazy- I’ve seen it before, and I see it in your eyes. One of these days, you’re gonna snap and kill somebody. You need to get your shit together, you understand me?”

He turned from Link to look back at Sidon, then turned from both of them and wrapped his hand around his medallion.  Sidon was rubbing the sugar onto his gums, and it seemed to be calming him down.

“Are they going to throw us out?” Ghirahim asked.

“He didn’t hurt her,” Ganondorf answered, “She’s not going to complain.  But he needs to get his shit together.” He opened his eyes to look at Link, “I don’t trust you.  I want you to know that. You’ve got evil eyes.”

Link shook his head.  No! No he didn’t! He wasn’t evil- evil meant bad, and Link was not a bad bunny!  

“Link isn’t a bad bunny!” Ghirahim argued, and Link thought he argued with his master a lot.  “He’s overprotective of Sidon. He can’t be blamed for that! Perhaps if I had been so overprotective, Demise would still be alive!”

“Yeah,” Ganondorf snapped at Ghirahim, “Maybe he would!  If you’d done your goddamn job and protected him like you were supposed to!”

Link watched Ghirahim burst into tears.  But that was wrong! Ghirahim had loved Demise so much!  He had to have done the best he could! Mr Ganondorf had been mean to Sidon, and that was one thing.  He didn’t like it, but Link understood that humans could take care of themselves- but Ghirahim was his bunny!  He was supposed to take care of him- and he made him cry! 

Link was so mad he was shaking- but he couldn’t attack another human.  He knew that. He had to be good. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Ghirahim and hugged him as hard as he could.

“I’m a failure,” Ghirahim sobbed, “He’s dead.  He’s dead because I didn’t protect him! Get off of me!” He shoved Link so hard he stumbled and ran in the direction of the attached bathrooms.

“Fucking useless ass underlings,” Ganondorf muttered.  “Be pointless, whiney, and violent all you want. I’m getting my goddamn seaweed wrap!  And everyone better have their fucking shit together tomorrow! Do you hear me, Ghirahim!?”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim responded from where he had crouched to cry in one of the stalls.

Ganondorf slammed the locker shut, threw the key at Sidon, and marched out of the room.

It was some time before Sidon spoke, and when he did his voice was much softer than usual.  “Link?”

But Link wasn’t there to hear him.  He had walked into the room with the shower stalls, and crawled under the locked door to sit with Ghirahim.

“Everyone blames me, Little Toy,” Ghirahim confessed, “And they have every right.  It isn’t supposed to be like this. He wasn’t… they aren’t supposed to die. Your master is supposed to love you forever…  but they’re… they’re so fragile, aren’t they? Growing up they seem so big, so strong, so indestructible…”

He looked at Link and Link nodded.  He kept sitting on his knees about a foot away and didn’t try to touch him.  He just waited for him to continue, and eventually he did.

“But they aren’t.  They’re just flesh and blood.  Gooshy organs in a skin shell… just like us.  If you cut them, they bleed out. There was so much blood, Little Toy…  it can all... Your entire life can change in an instant, in a flash of steel or the sound of a gunshot…  or, I suppose, on a whim.” He took a deep breath and his body shook. “The most difficult thing, Little Toy, to accept out of all of this…  is that…”

Link watched him intensely as Ghirahim struggled for words.

“He wasn’t…  special. He wasn’t better than me.  He didn’t…” he began to sob again and buried his face in his knees, “Nothing matters.  Nothing at all matters. We’re all going to die someday, and it will be like none of it ever happened.  We don’t matter, because we’re built to serve them and they… they don’t matter any more than we do. I can’t live like this, Link, I can’t…  I’m so angry all the time. I can’t control it. I don’t want to live anymore and I… I tell myself that it’s because he’s gone but… it isn’t.  Not really. It isn’t about Demise, it’s… I loved him so much and it never mattered.”

Link frowned.  He didn’t know how to respond, how to make him feel any better.  He didn’t really understand the things Ghirahim was saying enough to refute them.  Link didn’t think life had to matter to matter, but even as he thought it he knew that it was a word salad, and didn’t know how to explain what he meant, so he said nothing and kept staring at Ghirahim as he wept.

“Boys?” Sidon asked, “Are you in there?”

“Go away, Sidon!” Ghirahim snapped.

“I wanted to check on you,” Sidon explained.  “I got one of the ladies to give me some robes.  I think perhaps we… should not leave. Tensions got a little high there, but I really think Ganondorf didn’t mean what he said.  He’s upset, Ghirahim. You have to understand that this hurt him too.”

“Sidon, FUCK OFF!” Ghirahim yelled, and Link wondered if the room was empty.  He would hate for anyone to hear him.

Link crawled over and peeked under the stall door to look up at Sidon.  The room did seem to be empty, besides him, so Link stood, unlocked the door, and opened it.

“Sidon?” Link asked quietly, “If…  if you want to stay? Can I… will you…  go on with Mr Ganondorf and… Ghirahim has some…  it’s…” he struggled for the right word and eventually settled on, “bunny stuff?”

“I don’t want to leave you alone,” Sidon said with his face contorted into a worried expression.

“I won’t hurt him, Sidon,” Ghirahim sneered, “My word means something, remember?”

“I wonder if you could,” Sidon said, in thought, then added.  “Do you know where we’ll be, Ghirahim?”

“Yes,” Ghirahim responded tersely.

Sidon frowned and worked the request over and over in his head.  It was some time before he responded, “Alright, honey bunny, but stay safe.  If anyone tries anything with you, find an employee.”

Link nodded, and Sidon kissed him, and when he was gone, Link shut the stall door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys want to watch me struggle through a game I've played a thousand times, feel free to head on over to my handy-dandy youtube channel for a Let'sPlay of my favorite game ever, A Link to the Past!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBNUvrwtsvg&list=PLq9RN0Mxi3F6MOCHKrcimXmY4D6Y00hpo
> 
> The intro is VERY loud. I'm trying to get better at audio mixing. I'm sorry.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf remains DONE  
> This is actually the other half of the last chapter that I didn't finish in time last week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I wanna beg everyone to go check out MissGillette's work, and apologize for what I've done with it. I don't understand why this is so long...
> 
> Also, I have a ko-fi if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way: https://ko-fi.com/takocos  
> I've also-also kind of sort of got a youtube now: https://www.youtube.com/user/takocos (I'm learning how to edit and I know the audio's not great)  
> Finally, I also-also-also have a blog, more or less: https://perksofbeingabitchhermit.wordpress.com/
> 
> So those are things I've been doing. Make of that what you will.

Ganondorf was not in the room adjoining the bathing pools, and it took Sidon a few minutes to find him, sitting in a gazebo in a little enclosed garden area.  He was also wearing one of the spa’s robes, and was slowly smoking one of his cigars, and speaking into his cell phone.

“Embarassed the hell out of me,” Ganondorf was saying, and ashed over the side of the structure, apparently without noticing Sidon’s approach.

“Dad, he’s a Hylian.  He doesn’t know how to act.” Yuga’s voice came through the phone just enough for Sidon to hear him in the stillness of the garden.  “You just… stay tore all to hell anymore. You dwell on it.”

“My father is dead.” Ganondorf said and took another long drag of his cigar.

“That’s not Sidon’s fault.  And it’s not Ghirahim’s either.  I can’t believe you made him cry!  You know he needs to be emotionally stable!  The trial is tomorrow, dad!”

“You think I don’t know that!?” Ganondorf snarled.

“Yeah, yell at them and then call and yell at me.  That’ll accomplish a lot.” Yuga huffed. “Dad, please, just take a few hours and calm down?  I’m literally begging you. I’m worried about you. You’re killing yourself.”

“Shit, he’s out here,” Ganondorf glanced at Sidon, “I have to go.”

“Dad, please just relax,” Yuga begged, and seemed to have more to say, but he was cut off when Ganondorf hung up on him.

“What do you want, Hylian?” He asked.

“What a pleasant little garden,” Sidon said, looking around.

Ganondorf sighed, and Sidon sat down.

“I imagine,” Sidon said after a moment of silence, “You’ve inherited a great deal of responsibility.  It’s… amazing how well you’ve coped. It was so unexpected.”

“What do you want, Hylian?” Ganondorf asked again.

“I lost my mother and my sister,” Sidon said quietly.  “I was very young, but… I remember the pain. I remember the isolation, the loneliness.  I remember all the thoughts that berated me, especially at night. Things I should have done…  things I should have said.” He watched Ganondorf as he stared out over the garden, “But I… I comfort myself in knowing that I will probably see them again, if I make it to the Sacred Realm.”

“I very seriously doubt I will see my father in paradise, Hylian.” Ganondorf exhaled a long stream of smoke, “Don’t feed me bullshit.  And don’t try to comfort me with tales of the afterlife. Better people than you have tried. My mother is the High Priestess of the Temple of Din.”

“Very well,” Sidon smiled, “Then let’s talk business, Mr Dragmire.  You need to apologise to Ghirahim, or he’s going to be useless.”

“He’s already useless.”

“We both know that isn’t true.  Ghirahim is highly intelligent. He’s the only witness we have, and, as far as I know, the only method to assure that Mrs Hyrule is properly punished for the pain she’s caused you.” Sidon defended.  “He’s come so far in such a short time.”

“Shut up, Sidon,” Ganondorf said, and Sidon fell silent.  “Shut up and let me think.”

“Ganondorf,” Sidon said seriously, “Mrs Hyrule has gone against Nayru’s natural order.  The goddesses will enact divine wrath upon her.”

“The avatars have not awakened,” Ganondorf absentmindedly clutched his necklace, “There is no one to enact such judgement.”

“Not in the world of the living,” Sidon argued, “But no one can escape divine wrath forever.”

“I’d rather see it,” Ganondorf took a long drag,  “I want to watch it. I want to watch her precious soul shatter.”

“That is…” Sidon searched for the right word for the situation, and eventually settled on, “Understandable.”

“Of course it is,” Ganondorf huffed, “You Hylians took everything else from us.  I won’t accept that now you’re just allowed to slaughter us like animals.”

Sidon took a deep breath and held it.  He would not speak until he could be sure of his words, and didn’t want anger to overpower his intelligence.

“Ghirahim is not…  exactly stable when he’s upset,” Sidon spoke cautiously.  “Do you really believe he could have done more for your father?  I believe he acted to the best of his ability.”

“He could have done things differently,” Ganondorf exhaled, and watched the cloud of smoke rise into the air, “We all could have done things differently.  It isn’t my job to baby him.”

“It…  actually is your job to care for him,” Sidon argued, “Mr Dragmire…  with all due respect… I wonder if you’re the type of person who really needs to own a bunny?  They do require constant care. They’ll never reach a human level of emotional maturity. Ghirahim is going to depend on you his entire life, not just for necessities, but for things like emotional validation.  It isn’t babying him. He needs it. If you feel that you won’t be able to care for him, I could-”

He was cut off by the sound of Ganondorf’s laughter.

“Sorry, hylian, just,” he snickered and tossed the butt of his cigar over the railing, “But I was just imagining you trying to keep Ghirahim long-term.  It’d be a fucking sitcom.”

“You expect more than he can give,” Sidon explained patiently.

“Sidon,” Ganondorf turned to look at him, “I don’t think you know much about bunnies.  If you tried to keep Ghirahim, he would murder you in your sleep. The only reason he didn’t do that already is because I asked him not to.  You know that, don’t you? That the only reason you’re alive at all right now is because of my kind heart?”

Sidon stared up at him, and the silence dragged on between them.  After a beat, Ganondorf extended the hand that held the cigar case, and Sidon slowly shook his head.

“I’m a powerful man, Sidon,” Ganondorf explained, “I was thrust into that position.  I didn’t choose it. I know what it’s like to play the hand you were dealt. This whole system…  these bunnies… it’s rigged against them. It’s bullshit.”

“How do you mean?” Sidon asked.

“My whole life, Hylian,” Ganondorf spun the medallion that hung from his neck, “I have tried to be a voice of reason, tried to speak for those that had no voice.  I’ve tried to make peace, to resist assimilation, resist gentrification. Peaceful resistance… it seems… is not working. Maybe Ghirahim is right. Maybe violence is the answer.”

He stood, and Sidon watched him.

“You’re afraid of me.” Ganondorf said simply.  “What age do Hylian children learn to fear that which is not Hylian?  How old do you think I was when I was forced to see myself as the object that inspired fear?” He scoffed when Sidon said nothing and continued, “You Hylians are so blind.  It isn’t the people who are bigger than you, stronger than you, that you need to be afraid of. It’s the ones that you back into a corner. If you push someone hard enough, Hylian, eventually, they will push back.”

“I’m…  afraid I don’t understand,” Sidon said with more courage than he felt.

“No…” Ganondorf agreed, “I don’t think you ever will.  I don’t think you’re capable of it. But one day, Sidon, you’re going to push too far.  It’s going to be a bunny that kills you.”

He turned away and took long strides back towards the building, while Sidon thought of how little he knew.  He had known this would happen, that Ghirahim would be neglected, that the neglect would drive him mad.

 

“I just don’t know how much further I can go on,” Ghirahim explained, “I’ve lost my purpose.  I’ve lost my vision. I just don’t know what anything means anymore. I’m in a constant state of rage that you just can’t understand.  I hate everything! I hate myself, not only because I didn’t save him… but for reasons I don’t even understand. I just want it to end.  I want these feelings to go away! I can’t live like this!”

Link nodded and inched closer.

“I used to fight,” Link said.

“No, you didn’t,” Ghirahim said, as if it was ridiculous, wiping his eyes on the palm of his hand.

“When I lived in the shelter,” Link whispered, “I used to fight.  Any time anyone came near me, I fought them. I wanted to die… or…  no. That’s not right. I didn’t want to, I just… didn’t care.”

Ghirahim rolled his eyes, “Right, but then your glorious savior, Sidon, swooped in and carried you away to his beautiful castle in the sky, and you lived happily ever after.”

“I’m not happy,” Link said, and it felt strange to admit.

“I know,” Ghirahim huffed.

“I don’t know why…  something’s missing.  And I don’t know what…  but something is gone.” Link spoke softly and slowly, and it took a lot out of him.  He was afraid there were other people in the room, or that someone would come in at any second.  Mr Ganondorf may still be angry, Sidon may come back and say that they were going to go home and never see Ghirahim again.

“And it isn’t Demise,” Ghirahim agreed.  “I thought that was what it was, but it isn’t.  I don’t know what it is, either.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes as Ghirahim’s breathing slowly evened out, became normal, and his body gradually stopped shaking.  Link watched him, and wondered if there was a name for what they were feeling.

“We haven’t had sex,” Ghirahim broke the silence, and Link’s eyes grew wide.  “Not once. Not since I’ve been with him.”

“But you’re so good at it!” Link protested, “You’re such a good bunny.”

“He doesn’t want me, Little Toy.  I’ve never known rejection… I don’t know how to be useless.” Ghirahim sighed.  “I don’t know what will become of me, after the trial. I can’t imagine staying forever in a place where I am so obviously unwanted, where I am a burden.  But… I suppose there’s nowhere else to go.” He stared ahead, seeing nothing, and added, “Perhaps I could get Yuga to take me in. He seems more amiable, at least.  He understands what a bunny is, I believe. I know he’s fucked Ravio, and if there was ever anyone who didn’t deserve affection…”

Link didn’t know what to do with this information.  He didn’t know when he had began to associate sex with affection, but he knew he hadn’t always thought like that.  He knew that there were other kinds of love, he remembered other kinds of love. But he didn’t know how to form those thoughts completely, didn’t know how he could possibly explain them to someone who had been born and bred to be a cuddlebunny, not when they were so difficult to explain, not when he didn’t fully understand them himself.

“I need a cigarette,” Ghirahim seemed to be finished crying, “Perhaps if we head to the smoking gazeebo I can convince someone that I deserve a hand-out on charm and cuteness alone.”

“But you have cigarettes,” Link remembered.

“They’re in the locker,” Ghirahim explained, “And Master Ganondorf has the key.  And… there’s no way I could ask him for it. I couldn’t ask him for anything, after how much I’ve disappointed him, knowing how little he thinks of me.”

Link nodded, but then corrected himself, and shook his head.

“Ganondorf has no right to be bad to you!” Link proclaimed, “You’re a good bunny!  He’s wrong about you. You’re really good at sex, and you were good with Demise. You did everything you could.”

“I don’t want to fight about it,” Ghirahim shook his head.  “I know myself. I’ll fly into a rage. Please, Little Toy, don’t fight me right now.  Don’t push me. I don’t trust myself not to hurt you.”

Link nodded again.  He didn’t want to fight either.  Then he jumped at the sound of the door opening, and skittered closer to the wall.

“Ghirahim,” Ganondorf’s voice called out, “Are you seriously still crying in the bathroom?”

“No, master!” Ghirahim stepped forward and opened the door, “No, I’m finished.  I apologize for my behavior I… know that I should be stronger than this. My actions are…  pathetic. Far below my station. I’m better than this.”

“This is some middle school bullshit, Ghirahim,” Ganondorf snarled, “You look like someone stole your girlfriend and you wish a bitch  _ would  _ say something to you about it.”

“I know,” Ghirahim wiped at his eyes, “I’m sorry.”

“He wants a cigarette!” Link said, standing to his full height and glaring at Ganondorf.

“You know, kid,” Ganondorf smirked at him, “I’ve never heard a kind word come out of your mouth.”

“Yes, can you not!?” Ghirahim snapped at him.

“Did you get it out of your system?” Ganondorf asked, and Ghirahim took a deep breath, and nodded.

“Listen,” Ganondorf bent to be more on his eye-level, and gently rested his hands on Ghirahim’s shoulders, “You have got to stop doing this.  You have got to keep your shit together. I know you’re nervous. I know you’re upset. But if you fuck up like this on the stand, I am not exaggerating when I say that I will kill you.  Do you understand me?”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim searched his eyes, trying to find a hint of love, and when he realized that none existed, the tension left him.  There was no point in fighting for something that didn’t exist. His fate was in this man’s hands now, and no matter how much he wished it was different, it never would be.  So he added, again, “I’m sorry.”

“Apologies do not resurrect the dead,” Ganondorf explained, not unkindly.  “Do better going forward. Now stop crying. Put a robe on, come into the locker room, go have a smoke with your little buddy, and then meet me for the mud bath and body scrub.”

“Yes master,” Ghirahim nodded, and nearly fell when Ganondorf released him.  He followed him to the locker, and was amazed when Ganondorf handed him the key.

“Bring that back to me, and don’t lose it,” Ganondorf told him.

“Yes master,” Ghirahim said.  He thought he may start counting how often it spilled from his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I'm going to sit down after I eat and try to finish this. I'm so close I can feel it, I've just not had time to work on it. I told people like 2 years ago I was going to start working on that HW AU again. I don't even remember what it was about and I'm going to hate myself when I reread it because it's so poorly written. I kind of want you guys to read it, but I also really don't want you to go from this, which has an actual purpose, to that ABSOLUTE MESS of personal art therapy that probably doesn't really belong on the internet. Should have written that in a journal somewhere and locked it away from prying eyes.
> 
> Also, this chapter is seriously what I didn't have time to finish last chapter- they're the same chapter and you can totally read them that way. The overall theme of both of them (because again, it was supposed to be one thing) is that Ghirahim and Link have gotten to the point now that sex is so integrated into their concept of what they think affection is, even just friendly affection, that neither of them can possibly understand the way that Ganondorf thinks and feels. Someone asked way back at the beginning of this fic if there were going to be people who didn't like the concept of cuddlebunnies (they framed their question as a religious issue), and the answer is that as far as I can tell, the Hyrulian religion doesn't really have a 'hell' per-say. It's not going to be the same kind of religious issue that you would find in somewhere like the Christian-saturated American Bible Belt, because in the context of the story that's just not the religion that exists. Under the Hylian translations of the holy texts, Hylians truly believe that they have this "duty" that Sidon sort of talked about (and we see that play out in-game, several times, I wrote a whole big thing about it in another chapter).
> 
> However, we don't need religion to have ethics, and Ganondorf has traditionally been the leader of the downtrodden (again, I've talked about this in a previous post, and Gan & his followers have talked about it in-game). He likes bunnies (and he likes Link in particular) and he treats them like people. He's not cool with the system, and he thinks that he's doing the right thing. Sidon thinks that he's being neglectful.
> 
> Link doesn't know how to take being held accountable for his own actions- when he attacked that lady, Gan came after Link in a, "You need to get your shit together before you wind up killing somebody," way instead of going after Sidon in a, "Your animal attacked someone, do something about it," way. Link's never been respected, never been treated as if he was responsible for his own actions. He has literally no frame of reference for something like that. Ganondorf treats him as if there's a mutually established respect- he comes into the situation as if he EXPECTS that Link is a person with thoughts, emotions, and decision-making skills. He does the same thing with Ghirahim, and they don't have an intimate relationship, haven't had time to build that up. In Gan's head, he 1: can't get him pregnant and 2: isn't his romantic partner, so there's no reason he should be having sex with him. He wouldn't spring that on someone out of the blue, especially not someone in mourning for an ex-lover, which Ghirahim very clearly is.
> 
> This leads to some really confused bunnies.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter about quiet introspection- the emotional lul after everything in the last chapter, and the time it takes to process things like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miss Gillette, if you're still reading this, I am so sorry.
> 
> Also, I have a ko-fi if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way: https://ko-fi.com/takocos  
> I've also-also kind of sort of got a youtube now: https://www.youtube.com/user/takocos (I'm learning how to edit and I know the audio's not great)  
> Finally, I also-also-also have a blog, more or less: https://perksofbeingabitchhermit.wordpress.com/

It was still winter, and not exactly warm in the little garden, though it was much better than it would have been in Hyrule.  There were plants in bloom here, and Link thought that at any other time he would have liked to explore, to go hopping through the garden.  As it was, he was a little cold, and huddled deeper into his robe, watching Ghirahim. He knew that he wasn’t supposed to stare, but Ghirahim was just so sad on a level that Link didn’t understand, and his body language was fascinating.

The case snapped in half when he opened it, and there were two rows of the long, white sticks with the green lines near the bottom.  Ghirahim snapped one from the metal bar that kept it inside, and with the same hand his skilled, slim fingers plucked the lighter, moving faster than the recoil of the metal that held them in place.  The lighter was translucent, and a liquid sloshed in two chambers inside. Link watched Ghirahim watching the liquid, pouring it from one chamber to another, and eventually, running his thumb over the wheel.  Ghirahim stared at the flame that sprang to life.

He looked at it for so long, and Link watched it reflect in those big, red eyes, that he began to feel something, and he didn’t like it.  But he didn’t have time to process what it was before Ghirahim put the cigarette to his lips, lit it, and inhaled. Just like that, the flame was gone.

Ghirahim held out the case for him, and Link took it.

It was silver, and probably a gift from Ganondorf, because the front held the three triangles, the sacred symbol from the holy book, embossed in a relief carving.  There was a circle surrounding it, and symbols at the point of each triangle that Link did not understand.

He snapped it open, took out one of the cigarettes, and tried to pry out the lighter.

“Understand, Little Toy,” Ghirahim said, and it sounded louder than it was in the serenity of the garden, “that if you smoke that, you are making a conscious decision to shorten your life.  These things will kill you. It isn’t like being drugged. This is a decision that you are making. It has a clear right and wrong answer.”

Link put the cigarette to his lips, clicked the fire on, held it to the tip, and inhaled.

Ghirahim watched him, and observed, “And you got it wrong on purpose.”

Link felt the earthy smoke settle on his tongue and tickle his soft palate, and he took a deep breath to force it down his throat.  It burned, and he choked, and began to cough. Ghirahim sighed and took a long drag.

“It’s a bit self destructive, isn’t it?” he asked, and continued without waiting for an answer, “You can feel it, the pain in your throat, the beating of your heart, the strain in your lungs.  It’s… something I think people like your master don’t understand, though he should. This idea that you knew the right answer and chose the wrong one deliberately- that you like the pain, the knowledge that you’re killing yourself.  It’s a socially acceptable poison.”

Link nodded and tried again.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Ghirahim told him, “But I won’t stop you.”

Link nodded, and he didn’t cough this time, though his eyes watered.

He picked up the case and handed it to Ghirahim, and Ghirahim simply held it.  The key on his wrist hit the metal of the case with a soft, high note, and he leaned on his other arm over the banister to ash.  Link noticed that he didn’t have a bell on his collar. He didn’t normally make sound when he moved, and Link didn’t know how he had never noticed that before.  He suspected that he and Ghirahim were supposed to move in two different ways; he couldn’t quantify what that difference was, but it was apparent in everything they did: the clothes they wore, the way they carried themselves, the way they spoke or refrained from speaking.

“You call your master by his name,” Ghirahim said after the stillness had grown too much for them to bear.  “You’re not supposed to do that.”

Link looked at him and inhaled again.  He didn’t have a response.

“When I was young,” Ghirahim continued, “I took those classes, at the breeding center.  You’re never supposed to call humans by their name- it’s a sign of disrespect. ‘Master’, ‘Mistress’, ‘Mister’, ‘Miss’...”

“I…  didn’t know that,” Link explained.

“You’re not a real cuddlebunny,” Ghirahim blew a plume of smoke and turned to him.  “I don’t say that to insult you. It’s only… strange to me, that you and your friend Ravio…  are being treated this way. It isn’t what you’re meant for. It’s been bothering me since I met you.  I have never really interacted much with toy bunnies, but you really are… bred for children. That’s what bothers me.”

Link stared at him, trying to figure out what he was talking about.

“You,” Ghirahim began, and paused to think, “all of your…  little hang-ups. It slotted into place for me, recently, after living with Master Ganondorf.  Youth isn’t- by it’s very nature  _ cannot be _ \- sexy.  So… we, that is, actual cuddlebunnies, were bred to avoid it.  We were supposed to be mature, praised for it. We grow up… perhaps more quickly than Master Ganondorf realizes.  Because we’re supposed to be sexy. We’re supposed to be intelligent, responsible… we would get into trouble if we had to be given instructions more than once, if we couldn’t ‘extrapolate from incomplete data’ and predict what our masters wanted, we were…” he shuddered, and looked at Link.

“But you…” he studied Link, and continued, “He wants you to be childish.  That’s what bothered me. Crayons, children’s books, stuffed animals… he dresses you like a Hylian child, styles you like one as well.  That, I believe, is why he didn’t like the make-up…”

“It’s because I used to be a Toy,” Link explained, “I like that stuff.  I’m allowed to have stuff I like.”

“No, it isn’t,” Ghirahim said, “Not…  not completely. Yes, you can have things you like, but…  Master Ganondorf said that we were the same age. You can’t be in your twenties!  You’re… so naive. Life should have beaten that out of you by now.”

“What does naive mean?” Link asked quietly.

Ghirahim made a disgusted sound, opened his cigarette case, and lit a second on the cherry of the first, then threw the butt over the side of the gazebo.

“It means you’re…  a particular kind of ignorant that is normally reserved for children.” 

“I’m not a child!” Link snapped.  He didn’t like this conversation, but he was trying as hard as he could to keep his temper under control because he knew that Ghirahim was just upset.  He had a lot to be upset over, and Link was just a convenient place for him to put those emotions. He wasn’t actually mad at him, and Link knew it, but he was trying his patience.

“That’s my point!” Ghirahim snapped back.  “But he treats you as if you are a child, and it creeps me out.”

“No, he doesn’t!” Link thought he might not be able to finish his cigarette.  He was getting sick to his stomach, and he thought it may be what was causing it.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Ghirahim spoke again.

“No one will…  simply listen, and let me say that I wish Demise was not dead,” he explained.  “I need… I feel as if I need to say it, over and over, not because I feel that it will be granted just…  to stave off the madness.”

Link nodded.

“But…  every time I do that…  I’m reminded that he is dead, that no amount of wishing will bring him back.  And… I wish people understood that I am aware of that. I just need to say it, I have to, and no one will let me.  No one will listen.” He turned with all his bunny speed and grabbed Link’s hand, and stared into his eyes, “So listen to me, Little Toy.”

Link nodded.

“I wish Demise was not dead.  I wish I could go home. I wish none of this had ever happened, despite our friendship.  I wish that I had saved him, that we had never let her in the house at all. Sometimes I go back even further- I wish that I had died with him, or instead of him, or that I had never been born, or been culled at the center instead of allowed to grow and feel this attachment that claws at me, hurts me like a physical thing.”

Link nodded.

“None of it matters, of course,” Ghirahim amended, and the passion left his eyes at the same moment the strength left his grip, “And, I suppose, it wouldn’t have mattered either way.”  He took another long drag, and when he exhaled, he stared at the cloud.

“Did you make him happy?” Link asked.

“It’s such a nebulous concept there’s no way of knowing,” Ghirahim answered, and leaned over the banister to ash, “I hope so.  I know that I felt more fulfilled. I dislike having a purpose that goes unserved…”

Link nodded, and held the cigarette, watching it burn.  He was almost positive it was making him sick.

“We deserve better,” Ghirahim said after a pause, “You deserve a child, and I deserve a master who loves me.  The fact that fate has taken that from us makes me angry, but I have nowhere to direct that anger, and I can feel it pooling inside me, under my scar.  It hurts like a physical thing… I think it may kill me eventually.”

“I think we can be happy,” Link said.

“I think you toys are incapable of seeing the world as it truly is,” Ghirahim said sadly.  “Fairy tales aren’t real, Little Toy. No one gets a happy ending. Happiness is fleeting- it comes in the middle of the story.  Everyone’s story actually ends the same way. With death.”

Link had nothing to say about that.  He didn’t like to think about death. He knew that he would die, eventually, but Sidon had promised to take care of him forever.  He would have a home until it happened. He thought that bunnies didn’t live as long as humans, from the way Ghirahim had asked the question, and no one had ever answered him, so he wondered what would happen to Sidon after he died.  He knew he would be sad, maybe as sad as Ghirahim was over Demise. He hoped that he wouldn’t stay sad forever. Part of him hoped that Sidon would go back to the shelter and find another bunny that needed love, and bring them home and give them everything Link wouldn’t be able to use anymore.

Link looked at the cigarette case in Ghirahim’s hand, and reached out to take it.  Ghirahim let him, and Link stared at the symbols embossed on it, ran his fingertips over them, and thought of the goddesses from the storybook.

“I’ve been going to the temple with my master,” Ghirahim said as he watched Link study the case, “I can almost believe it.  I think… if I try very hard, I can… rewire my brain. I can make myself believe that the goddesses created an afterlife, a paradise, with the possibility of reincarnation.”

“What is that?” Link asked.

“They say that every living creature possesses a ‘soul’, that nebulous concept that creates intelligence.” Ghirahim explained and Link nodded, “They say, at that temple, and in their holy book, that souls can be reincarnated- that is, they can live again.  That death is not the end. There are, apparently, similar people who have popped up all throughout human history.”

“Is that true?” Link asked in contemplation.

“It may as well be,” Ghirahim shrugged, “it makes as much sense as anything else that’s happened lately.”

He took the last drag off his cigarette, tossed it over the banister, and held out his hand for the case.

“Come along, Little Toy, let’s rejoin our masters.  I think… I have myself under control.”

Link nodded, and followed him back inside.

 

Link and Ghirahim didn’t talk much after that, but it was as relaxing as Ghirahim had promised it would be, and it seemed that perhaps the time for talking had passed anyway.  The silence was something that Ganondorf had asked for in the morning, and it was more welcome than awkward. Link did not know that Ganondorf had told Sidon that he knew he was an object of fear, but he knew that Sidon was afraid of him.  Link, however, had a difficult time calling up the basic, animal fear of Ganondorf in the way that he knew he should.

He watched him, lying on his stomach as the hot stones cooled on his back, as they all were doing, and thought of the confrontations they had had.  Ganondorf had accused Link of being mean, of having evil in his eyes, of having never spoken a kind word to him, and, as Link thought about their interactions, he was right.  Link did look at him with hate in his eyes, had snapped at him every time he had spoken to him, and had shrank from his touch, only to then touch him without permission.

The only reason that Link didn’t like Mr Ganondorf is because the way Sidon acted made it seem as if he shouldn’t- but even Sidon had told him to treat him kindly.  Link didn’t like that he had made Ghirahim cry, but he wondered how Mr Ganondorf acted when he wasn’t under so much stress, when he wasn’t so angry all the time, like Ghirahim was.  Link had broken through that anger with Ghirahim and found a bunny who was still arrogant and bitchy, but who had loved his master with his whole heart and just wanted to be loved again.  Link understood that, so he wondered if he would understand Mr Ganondorf, the way that Sidon seemed to, if he knew more about him.

The soft music that played in the background had a beautiful female voice and instruments that Link didn’t know the names of, but it was so soothing that he found himself drifting off, thinking about Ghirahim’s new master.  He still didn’t like him, but he wanted to be a good bunny, to be nice to him, like Sidon had told him to. But he was mean to his bunny, and Link just didn’t know if he could forgive that.

Link hated that he still missed Zelda.  He wondered how much time had passed, what she looked like now.  He wasn’t very good at math or time, and didn’t want to dwell on it too much, but sometimes, when he was in the quiet with his thoughts, he couldn’t help it.  He thought she looked like Hilda, so maybe she was about the same age now.

He was brought back to consciousness by the almost familiar feeling on the back of his hand.  It itched so badly it burned, so he turned onto his side to scratch it, and saw Mr Ganondorf with one hand on his shoulder, looking down at him.  He drew back softly and pointed to Sidon, who Link saw was also asleep. Link giggled. Sidon was so cute when he slept.

“You like him, kid?” Mr Ganondorf asked, and Link nodded.  

Ganondorf’s face was neutral, as it often was, so Link couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but he was certainly deep in thought.  He watched the rise and fall of Sidon’s back, of the position of the stones there, and Link felt like something was happening, but he didn’t know what.  He didn’t know that Ghirahim was awake, watching Link the way Ganondorf was watching Sidon, until he spoke.

“Master, we’ll miss our appointment if we don’t hurry along soon,” he said, and Ganondorf seemed to snap out of a trance.

“You’re absolutely right,” he said, and laid a hand on Sidon’s shoulder to shake him, “Hylian!  You fell asleep! Are you crashing so soon? We have to move on.”

“Oh, no, Mr Dragmire,” Sidon sat up less carefully than Link had, and the stones went clattering to the floor, “No, nothing like that.  It’s just been a long day, and then everything became so quiet, slow, and relaxing… It’s been a long time since I’ve been pampered.” He laughed, and Link loved the way it sounded.

“Yes, I can’t imagine you get invited to many spa days,” Ghirahim huffed as he grabbed Ganondorf’s arm to tug him along, and Link rolled his eyes as he got up to follow them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on chapter 39, goddamn. I hope you guys like this slice-of-life shit because I'm stuck in a loop and I can't get out of it.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link continues his beauty treatments! How will this visit compare to the bunny salon back home?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, this story is somehow still going. Somehow... some... how...
> 
> I'm so sorry, MissGillette.   
> Everyone should go check out MissGillette's work, linked at the beginning of this story!
> 
> Also, I have a Ko-Fi if anyone wants to throw a couple bucks my way: https://ko-fi.com/takocos  
> And I'm playing through A Link to the Past on my youtube account, if anyone is interested in that: https://www.youtube.com/user/takocos

Ghirahim chatted with the lady doing his nails in almost the same way that Ravio did, and it amazed Link.  He couldn’t understand what he was saying, because he was speaking that language that the Gerudo used, but whatever it was, it had put him in much better spirits.  Link didn’t think that the massage, mud, and hot stones had done that, and part of him wondered how much of his flamboyant, outgoing personality was a mask. Link thought, as he watched him smile and lean in to say something that seemed like a juicy, gossipy secret, about how solemn he had looked on the gazeebo when he told real secrets.  Link knew he wasn’t lying, but… he didn’t know how to classify what he was doing. Acting, maybe? 

It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t real.

Those smiles, those twinkling eyes, the motions he went through, the way he flipped his hair and kept darting his eyes to his nails as if he didn’t have a care in the world- it just wasn’t real, and Link knew it wasn’t real, and the unreality of the situation bothered him in a way that erased any calming effects that the brief respite had given him.

“Sit down, Sidon,” Ganondorf commanded.

“No, thank you,” Sidon smiled from his position behind Link, “Honestly, Mr Dragmire, you’ve already been far too kind.”  

“Sit.  Down.” Ganondorf said, and turned to look at him.  Sidon moved cautiously and took the seat next to him, and Ganondorf turned to the woman sitting on the other side of the table with all her tools and polishes, and gave her a sympathetic look before he spoke.  “I don’t know what to tell you. He’s a fucking mess. Just do your best.”

The lady working on Link’s nails was running a cloth over them, and he didn’t notice the word ‘Sidon’ being erased from his hand- he was too focused on Sidon himself, who was blushing and speaking in a way that Link found adorable; a little too quickly and with too much information.

“I’m not accustomed to being so pampered,” Sidon explained to his technician, “I always felt that these things were a little frivolous for a man in my position.”

“What position is that?” she asked in her thick accent, as she applied a lotion to Sidon’s hands.  

The lady beside her, who had been working on Ganondorf, said something in their language, and all three of them snickered.

Ganondorf took in Sidon’s concerned expression and explained, “Calm down, Hylian.  She says you’ve got pretty hands that you don’t take care of. I’m getting you some lotion to take home with you.  It’s unacceptable that such a… fine voe could let himself get into such a shape. Gotta stay fresh for the ladies, right?”  He snickered and Sidon narrowed his eyes.

“Actually, Mr Dragmire, I have honestly never spared a thought to whether or not ‘the ladies’ approve of how I present myself,” Sidon said as if the sentence carried some great meaning that went completely over Link’s head.  He took it for what it was, and could attest to it. The only lady that Sidon really seemed to care about was Hillie, and Link didn’t know what she thought about his nails.

“Ghirahim,” Ganondorf asked as Link watched Sidon wince while the lady removed his cuticles, “What did you decide on?”

“I think acrylics in a basic white,” Ghirahim said after a moment of thought, “We’re going for an understated beauty, right?  You said ‘nothing too dramatic’?”

“I’ll get you some real pretty shit if you make me proud on the stand,” Ganondorf promised, and Ghirahim blushed.  Link didn’t understand why.

“Thank you, master,” Ghirahim said quietly.

“Basic black,” Ganondorf told the lady doing his nails, and then fell into a conversation in his native language.

Link realized that he didn’t mind the language barrier.  It was much easier, he thought, to be the person who didn’t understand than the person who simply couldn’t bring himself to speak.  No one here expected him to reply, no one expected him to hold a conversation. The downside was that he didn’t know what they were saying, but he was fairly certain that Ghirahim, unlike Ravio, wasn’t talking about him.  Ghirahim spoke mostly about himself. Ganondorf was probably talking about Sidon, but Link was too tired from trying to understand their relationship, and couldn’t put any more mental energy into it. Mr Ganondorf could really be talking about anything.  Link knew that he just wanted to keep his mind off his dead father.

These ladies didn’t have any books laid out with cute pictures on them for bunnies to choose from.  This place didn’t look like it had been made for bunnies at all. It wasn’t cute or fluffy, it was… different in a way that Link didn’t understand.  The pictures on the wall were all of Gerudo women in glamorous poses, not cartoon bunnies in cute ones. They were actual photographs, and though Link couldn’t read the words, he was almost positive that they were advertising nail designs or makeup.  The context gave it away, and Ravio was right- Gerudo were beautiful. 

They were almost all bigger than Hylians, and almost all women.  Mr Ganondorf was the only male Gerudo that Link had seen in the place, but he was beautiful too, in the same way.  They carried themselves differently than Hylians, and Link… thought he liked it. He didn’t really have the vocabulary to form the thoughts he wanted to form, but it was the same difference he felt sword-fighting with Ghirahim and playing swords with Sidon.  The Gerudo were just  _ more  _ than Hylians.  They had this space, this language, these special smells, and they…  they just were. They knew what they were, and they were that, and they didn’t seem to feel any kind of way about it.  Hylians, in Link’s experience, felt like they had to be something- to be good masters, maybe? And bunnies knew that they had to be something- cuddlebunnies or toybunnies, everything had a purpose and if you couldn’t fulfill your purpose, bad things would happen to you.

None of the Gerudo felt like that.  They were open, even in the hylian language.  They were forward, and pretty in a way that was completely different from anything Link had experienced before.  “Easy” wasn’t the right word. He knew that they worked hard for it. But… 

Link remembered looking into the mirror and wishing he had been born Hylian.

He knew that no one in this spa had ever made such a wish.

Link envied them.

“Are you alright?” Ghirahim asked him, and Link focused back in on the world around him.  “Little Toy, even if you do not speak the language, it is considerate to acknowledge when someone is talking to you.  Your base coat is dry. Pick out a color or step aside and let someone else have your chair.”

Link nodded, and pointed to a deep green on the rack the lady was gesturing to.

“It’s called cuticle oil, and if you’d use it, it wouldn’t hurt,” Ganondorf was explaining to Sidon, “Just rub it on your cuticles, and keep them pushed back.”

“I’m simply not very concerned with the appearance of my, erm, cuticles,” Sidon explained, and held up one hand to look at it, “But perhaps I should be…  that does make a marked difference, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, and it keeps bacteria from growing,” Ganondorf continued, “and for the love of fuck just please moisturize in general.  You’re dry as a fish out of water. Do Hylians just not know lotion exists? Did someone forget to tell you?”

“He’s stingy with the lube, too,” Ghirahim snarled, “I don’t know what it is about Sidon and skincare, but he’s horribly neglectful!”

Link wanted to tell Ghirahim that Sidon normally did more prep than he had with him, but he wasn’t sure if he could for a number of reasons- not just the lead that always settled in his stomach around crowds, but also because…  he wondered if Ghirahim wasn’t right? Sidon had told him before that he was using ‘too much’, and that he was going to ‘make a mess’, but Link disagreed with him. It was really something that was safer to have too much of than too little.

“That’s a great way to get an infection- wait…”  Ganondorf looked down at Link, and Ghirahim watched the gears turning in his head before he shook it and said, “Fuck’s sakes, Sidon.”

“Ghirahim!” Sidon snapped.

Ghirahim grinned at him, and Link was happy to see him acting like his snarky self, even if he was acting.

“What color would you like, Sidon?” the lady asked him, and it seemed odd to Link.  He had expected her to say, ‘Mr Ruta’.

“Oh, just the clear is fine,” Sidon blushed, “I wouldn’t like to go overboard on my first visit.”  He giggled, and Link thought he was adorable.

“My sister, Nabby, and I would do our nails together, as kids,” Ganondorf smiled, “She was more into pink, but I was that kid who always went black- black clothes, black nails, black eyeliner, black smokey eye- thought about coloring my hair but mom would have lost her  _ shit _ , and I realized as I grew up how shitty it would have looked and how much upkeep it would have been.  Plus, I was thinking of relaxing it at one point, and if you color your hair and then put a relaxer in it, just…  can you imagine? RIP my follicles.”

He laughed and went on, “She was better at it than I was, though.  I’d rather get it done by a professional than ever try to do it myself.  I’m a mess.”

“You aren’t a mess, master,” Ghirahim said soothingly, “Why, look at Sidon.”

“I will not,” Ganondorf growled, and Link giggled despite himself.

“Did we ever figure out what we were going to do with my hair?” Ghrahim asked, “I really…  really would prefer we didn’t cut it. I’m going for this asymmetrical geometry thing that I think really frames my face, and I don’t want to have to grow it back out.  I know myself and I’ll be cross the entire time. I can’t stand bangs that reach that annoying length where they get in your face…”

“Half your face is covered right now,” Ganondorf pointed out.

“The same half that is missing an ear,” Ghirahim explained, “I…  I don’t know, it makes me feel balanced. I need more girth on that side, somehow.  I don’t want to lose it.”

After a moment of contemplation Ganondorf decided, “We can just find a way to slick it back.”

“Thank you, master,” Ghirahim smiled and looked away.

“I just need that jury to see your face, especially your eyes,” Ganondorf explained, “People who are lying can’t usually look you in the eye.  I need them to see sincerity.”

“I’m always sincere,” Ghirahim said as he took his hands out of the dryer.

 

“Sit down, Sidon- goddamn am I getting tired of saying that!” Gannondorf snarled and indicated the empty chair to his left.

“My Dragmire, will all due respect,” Sidon said, “I don’t particularly want a haircut.  It’s taken me so long to grow it out.”

“They aren’t going to cut it, Sidon,” Ghirahim sighed and spoke as if he was talking to a child, “They’re going to style it.”

“I’ve never seen anybody more in need of an oil treatment and a hot comb,” Ganondorf said in amazement.  "I’ve never even seen it down. Unbraid that- let’s get a look at it.”

“No, thank you,” Sidon replied.

“Do you do anything with it?” Ganondorf asked him, “What’s your natural texture?”

“I don’t…  know what that means,” Sidon admitted, “I’m really just here with Link.”

“My friend just needs it cleaned up,” Ghirahim told the lady who had come up behind Link, “Just get rid of the split ends and- Little Toy do you want to keep the bangs?” Link nodded, so he continued, “And clean up his bangs.  But leave him enough to hide behind,” he laughed and went on, “He likes that.”

Ganondorf went back to flipping through the magazine, and said, without looking up, “Hylian, if you would let me take care of you, you would be amazed by the difference.”

“You…  you promise you won’t cut it?” Sidon asked the lady standing behind the chair, but she stared at him in incomprehension, and Ganondorf looked up and translated for her.  She made a face, said something back, and Ganondorf spoke to Sidon, “Hylian, if you want it to be longer, you have to cut off the damage. You’ve not kept it properly moisturized and you’ve hit the breaking point.  It’s breaking off at the same rate that you’re growing it in. See how long-”

“And gorgeous,” Ghirahim interrupted.

“And gorgeous my hair is?” Ganondorf continued without breaking stride or looking up from the magazine, “That’s because I take care of it.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Sidon said as he began to unbraid his hair, and reluctantly climbed into the chair.

The woman put something down on the tray beside him, and Link watched it sizzle as she spoke in her language and Ganondorf repeated, “Don’t touch that.”  Then he held the magazine toward Ghirahim and said, “How about something like this? Simple and out of your face, and it’ll wash out.”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim agreed.

“What does that mean? Does that mean you like it or that you’re just agreeing with me?” Ganondorf asked.

“No, no, I like it.  I just… don’t like to think about the trial.  I would prefer to turn off my brain and just do whatever you think is best,” Ghirahim explained, “I’m sorry, I…  I may still be reeling a little. My… nerves are…”

Ganondorf didn’t press the issue, and instead turned to the lady working on Ghirahim and showed her the picture he had selected- then jerked back as the lady behind him began combing out his hair and complaining.  Ganondorf complained right back at her, and Link was afraid they were going to get into a fight, so he tugged on Ghirahim’s sleeve to get his attention, and prayed he would know to translate.

“Oh,” Ghirahim said once he understood what Link was asking, “Well, Little Toy, it turns out that my master’s hair is even more thick, dense, and beautiful than the artists had anticipated, so it’s going to take more time than they had originally quoted.”  He leaned in close to Link and spoke more quietly when he added, “Is it just me or are these humans obsessed with time?”

Link nodded.  It wasn’t just Ghirahim, he had thought as much himself.

“Sidon!” Ganondorf snapped.

“Yes, Mr Dragmire?” Sidon asked, and tried to lean forward, but the lady pulled him back by his hair and continued working the oil into it.

“I’m going to need you to take Ghirahim to his make-up consultation.  The artist is supposed to come to the hotel tomorrow, but we need to get the look finalized today.  I’ll meet you at the tailor.”

“Mr Dragmire,” Sidon argued, “I don’t know the slightest thing about make-up.”

“I’m not going with Sidon!” Ghirahim argued from the other side, “He’ll have me looking like some childish abomination!”

“Both of you shut the hell up!” Ganondorf snapped, “Ghirahim, I’d send you alone if I could but you know I can’t.”

“But why do I have to go with Sidon?  Can’t you get Aveil, Yuga, or Hilda to pick me up?” Ghirahim begged, “Master, please!”

“Stop whining!” Ganondorf snapped at him, and to Sidon he said, “Send me pictures.  Don’t approve anything yourself if you don’t know what you’re approving. I need this shit streamlined for tomorrow.”

“I…  could do that, I suppose,” Sidon agreed, and tensed at the sound of his beautician’s voice.

“She says to hold still,” Ganondorf explained, and Sidon did- Link could swear that he heard his hair sizzling.

But the transformation was amazing.  She held the hair taunt and worked the comb through it as if she was ironing fabric, and when she took her hand away, the section she was working through was as straight as Ghirahim’s.  It stayed that way instead of bouncing back into its normal waves, and she began working on the next section. Link thought that if she was actually burning off his hair he would see it burn- he did not know that the steam he saw came from the moisturizer, that Sidon’s hair was not just protected, it was healthy.

Link was finished far earlier than anyone else, and here there was no wind tunnel to step into.  Instead the lady blew the hair away with a machine that was fairly loud, but not nearly as scary, styled and perfumed it, then turned him toward the mirror.  He didn’t really look much different, but it was undeniable that the spa had done him a world of good. He looked healthier in a way that he couldn’t explain, less sallow, and his hair had actual body.  He ran a hand through it and it felt like the silk sheets on their bed at home. He smiled at the lady, and tried to figure out a way to communicate with her. He eventually settled on a thumbs up, and she laughed and said something with a motion that led Link to believe he should get out of the chair- so he did.

He sat on the cushions laid out where the owner’s chairs would be in a bunny salon and watched Sidon.  Half his hair was finished, and the difference was strange to look at. Sidon himself noticed, and held a strand of his hair, staring at it.  There were no flyaways, none of the small sections that normally puffed up and escaped his braid- and Link thought of Aveil’s ponytail.

Link didn’t know how Ganondorf wasn’t in pain.  The lady behind him was pulling his hair so tightly Link saw it straining his scalp, but he kept flipping through his magazine until he ran out of things to hold his interest, then began scrolling through his phone.  He seemed resigned to his fate, but Link didn’t understand why someone would put themselves through something that hurt as badly as that seemed to, for a period of time that was apparently really long, just to look pretty.

The lady was rolling his hair into tight spirals and pinning them in place on top of his head as she pulled each strand taut- and Link realized exactly how much hair Mr Ganondorf had.  Ghirahim was right, there was a  _ lot _ of it, and he didn’t doubt for a second that what they were doing was going to take a long time.

“Master, look!” Ghirahim hopped from his hair and stood in front of him, and Link realized that he had been so mesmerized by the rhythmic motions of Ganondorf’s beautiful mane that he had tuned out to the world around him.  He was a little concerned that had been so easy for him to do.

Ghirahim looked weird.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t pretty- he absolutely was.  It was that Link wasn’t used to seeing his entire face, and had somehow never noticed that he had yet another scar.  This one was much lighter, and on his pale skin it was almost unnoticeable, but it did exist, right under his eye. Link knew that he had seen his face before, and had never seen that scar.

“That’s perfect,” Ganondorf said with approval, and Link did not know how much he sounded like Demise, and didn’t know why Ghirahim had tears in his eyes when he replied.

“Thank you, master.”

Ganondorf turned to speak to the lady who had done Ghirahim’s hair, to get care instructions, but Link couldn’t understand him.  He instead focused on Ghirahim, who had turned to walk towards him.

“You look nice, Ghirahim,” Sidon said, and Link watched Ghirahim twitch, pivot at his hip without turning direction, and carefully consider his options.

“It’s nice to see that you may be gaining some semblance of taste, Hylian,” Ghirahim said, and came, fuming, to sit next to Link.

Link put a hand on his thigh when Ghirahim plopped down next to him, then pointed to the space under his own eye.  Ghirahim reached up to touch the space on his own face, and giggled.

“Oh,” He said, “Yes, that one’s new, Little Toy.  I had hoped that no one would notice it. I got this in an unfortunate fencing accident.  I was trying to teach an uncultured little shelter toy named Link how to fence, and he tricked me by faking a low lunge and then sweeping up.  He caught me right in the face- but I would be goddamned if I ever mentioned it to him or his pathetic master, so I distracted him with my beguiling beauty and then cleaned and dressed the wound myself.  It was shallow, and if I had taken better care of it instead of trying to hide it, it probably wouldn’t have scarred.”

Link blinked up at him, trying to process the information.  He had hidden an injury from them? The scar was small… it couldn’t have been very much, and he had taken a lot of healing potions while he was staying with them.  But Link hated the idea that he had scarred anyone.

“I think that little shelter toy may be dangerous,” Ghirahim continued, “My master certainly thinks so.  He’s concerned about how we can explain these new injuries to the jury, so I have to hide them.” He unbuttoned the hem of his shirt sleeve and pulled it up to reveal another scar that covered his wrist.  Link knew how he got that one. “So our current plan is to hide them with clothes and make-up.”

Link felt like crying.  His little body shuddered, and Ghirahim watched him, rolled his eyes, and spoke.

“Master, may I have another cigarette?” He asked.

“Yeah, here,” Ganondorf slid the key off his wrist and tossed it to him, “Sidon can come get you when he’s done.  I might take a nap. It feels so good to finally be able to relax. Bring that back to me. Don’t lose it.”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim promised, and tugged Link up by the arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... the hair styles that Ganondorf and Ghirahim are getting here are from the games, so if you're having trouble visualizing them, here are some references:
> 
> Ghirahim: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qHtO9q7s66o/maxresdefault.jpg  
> Ganondorf: http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/2014-09-22.jpg  
> http://i.imgur.com/hoy1mqU.png  
> Btws, kudos to the Twilight Princess development team because if you use tools to remove the crown you can actually see where the bobby pins are in his head: http://i42.tinypic.com/111qlow.png
> 
> So this chapter really was just some slice-of-life shit that shows the difference between being at the salon with Ravio vs Ghirahim. I told you guys, I'm stuck in a fluff loop.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghirahim continues his pre-trial make-over, and we meet another bunny!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a couple of weeks, but meatspace has just been so hectic. I've not had time to do anything at all.
> 
> As always:  
> I want to thank MissGillette, and encourage everyone to read her work!  
> I have a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/takocos  
> You can watch me play A Link to the Past, if you like: https://www.youtube.com/user/takocos

“You know, Little Toy,” Ghirahim giggled and held the case out for Link, “You seem surprised that you hurt me.”

Link nodded and pulled his robe closer together.

“You saw the blood on my wrist.  You can’t possibly be shocked.”

“You hurt Sidon,” Link said quietly, staring at the cigarette case.  He pushed it back towards Ghirahim.

“I hope it taught him a lesson,” Ghirahim shrugged, “But honestly, you should be proud.  I’m a difficult bunny to injure. You caught me off-guard, both times. It won’t happen again.”

“You hurt Sidon,” Link said again, and Ghirahim laughed.

“I like you,” Ghirahim said after a pause so long he had smoked half his cigarette, and both the sound and the message, shocked Link.

“...I like you, too,” Link admitted.

“It’s nice,” Ghirahim said, and pulled his legs up to his chest, “to have friends again.  I’ve lost touch with most of the bunnies I knew before. But I’m sure I’ll see them again.  Even so, I feel as if… there is something about you. I feel as though we’re connected.”

“By that string you talked about?” Link asked.

“Yes…  by the threads of fate.”  Ghirahim arched an eyebrow at him, “You are…  tasteless, tacky, and sometimes unbearably stupid.  I want to slap you in your pretty little face.”

Link stared at him and narrowed his eyes, but Ghirahim continued.

“But you are also infuriatingly loyal,” Ghirahim laughed, “And cute in a way that I am unused to.  You seem to actually listen when people speak to you. You deserve better than you get.”

Link sighed.

“Well you’re…  mean. A lot. A whole lot.  You’re mean to everyone- me, Sidon, Ravio, even Ganondorf.” Link argued.

“I am never mean to my master,” Ghirahim looked genuinely insulted.

“But you’re also sad,” Link continued, “And pretty, and you can be nice, if you want to.  And you’re… you. I wish I could be like that. That I could be me and not have to worry about it.”

Ghirahim studied him for a long time and took another long drag.

“I don’t know why you worry about it,” he said at length, “God, that breeding center really fucked you up.”

Link nodded.

“Sometimes I think I…  I still don’t… really get it.” Link admitted.

“Get what?  Being a cuddlebunny?” Ghirahim asked him, and Link nodded.  Ghirahim thought for a moment before he answered. “Well, you are trying to do something you weren’t bred for.  I imagine that has to be difficult. I could never be a toy- I find children infuriating. They’re loud and pompous, and for reasons that I don’t understand- always sticky.  What the hell are they covered in?”

“Food and paint and stuff,” Link explained, “I get sticky too, and Sidon makes me take a bath.”

“Is that why you just blow glitter everywhere?” Ghirahim asked, “Do children often do things without thinking of the consequences?”

Link nodded.

“What a way to live,” Ghirahim chuckled.  “Oh, look, Little Toy, here comes your master.  See what some actual care can do to a person?”

Sidon’s hair was pulled back into a new braid, but it was sleek and tight- Link did not think the word “professional”, but Ghirahim did.  Link simply thought that he looked more like Aveil than he did himself, and wasn’t entirely sure that he liked it. He did wonder what it felt like, though.

“Thank the goddesses,” Sidon said as he approached, “Darling, after what happened in the car, I was half afraid I would come out and find you smoking.”

“Sidon,” Ghirahim asked sweetly, “Can I have a hit off your necklace?  I know you have enough to share; I helped my master pick out your gift.”

“Are you always on?” Sidon asked, but he slid the necklace out of his robe and handed it to Ghirahim, who licked his finger, held it to the opening once he had removed the stopper, and scooped up enough to rub onto his gums.  Sidon couldn’t deny the poor thing anything after the way Ganondorf had treated him.

“You do look lovely, doesn’t he, Link?” Sidon asked.

“You look pretty too, Sidon!” Link answered, and stood to throw his arms around him.

“Thank you, darling.  You look adorable, but you always look adorable.” Sidon kissed the top of his head, and held out a hand for the necklace, which Ghirahim reluctantly returned.  “Well, let’s get you to your makeup appointment, darling. Your master seems rather keen on it. I’m actually not sure that it’s the best message to send.”

“I need to look presentable, Sidon,” Ghirahim explained as he stood.

“You look fine without it.  I fear that you may have an unhealthy reliance on all of this…  unnecessary excess. You aren’t supposed to wear it every day like that.  It’s supposed to be fun.”

“Sidon, please don’t tell me how things are ‘supposed’ to be,” Ghirahim scoffed and shoved past him, “I don’t need another assault on my record.”

The makeup ‘consultation’ wasn’t in the same building, which shocked Link.  He had had some difficulties in the spa, but he was sad to see it go, and was more reluctant than he would like to admit as he slowly dressed himself, feeling the new stretch and ply in his muscles.  It had been stressful to see Ghirahim cry, but he had to admit that he felt fantastic, physically.

Ghirahim, for his part, was trying his best to shake his mood.  It was obvious that he didn’t want to go with Sidon, but Link was proud that he seemed to be doing a lot better accepting things he couldn’t change- wait…  was that part of Mr Ganondorf’s prayer? Did praying work?

Sidon didn’t want to take Mr Ganondorf’s car, and called his driver from the locker room as soon as they had access to their phones.  It was more out of curiosity for Ghirahim than respect for Sidon that Link followed him to return his locker key to his master. Mr Ganondorf still had over half his hair left to put up, and Link found himself staring at it again.  Mr Ganondorf seemed to be fighting sleep, despite the pain that he had to be in as Link watched the skin of his scalp fight against the hair follicles that it seemed the ladies were trying to rip out, and Link marveled at what his pain threshold must be.  He remembered how he hadn’t even winced during the body wax.

“Ghirahim, listen to me,’ Mr Ganondorf said as he forced himself awake.  “I know Sidon gets on your nerves. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Master, you wound me,” Ghirahim said, sounding as insulting as he looked.  “Honestly, if I haven’t killed him yet, I feel that I’ve proven myself a bunny of my word.”

“Uh-huh.  Look. Today has been…  way rougher than I wanted-”

“That is no fault of mine, master,” Ghirahim argued.

“Shut up.”

“Yes, master,” Ghirahim sighed and folded his arms across his chest.

“Tonight is going to be…  worse. I really, really need you to get your shit together.  I mean it. No more crying bullshit. Keep it together for one more day, then you can lose it completely.”

Ghirahim was confused.

“Excuse me?” He asked.

“Keep it together until after the trial, then you can break down all you want.  We’ll lock you in that room or something,” Ganondorf waved a hand as if what he was saying was meaningless.

It wasn’t meaningless to Ghirahim.  He had never anticipated that he would be given permission to feel, to cry, to ‘break down’.  He had been holding back so much for so long that it ached like a physical thing- and this idea was a complete revelation to him.  It gave him something he hadn’t had in such a long time- hope. If he could just make it through the trial, not only would he never have to see Sidon again- he would be allowed to grieve.

Tears misted in his eyes and he fought them away.  Not now. Later. Because now the possibility of later existed.

“Thank you, master,” Ghirahim held his hands over his heart and stared up at Ganondorf in admiration.  He hadn’t thought… had never thought… that Ganondorf could anticipate his needs like that, would actually want to…  take care of him.

“O...kay…” Ganondorf said slowly, and with great confusion, “What the hell are you doing?  Go to the consultation.”

“Yes, master!” Ghirahim said, beaming, and took Link by the wrist to lead him away.  As they walked, Link turned and waved to Mr Ganondorf, who seemed resigned to his hair-care fate as he settled back down.

 

“This is the address you gave us,” Sidon muttered as the three of them piled out of the car and he clipped leashes to his bunny’s collars.  “Is this another human salon? Honestly, does no one in that family know how to care for a bunny?”

Ghirahim reached up to unclip his collar from the leash, caught himself, scowled, took a deep breath, and Link watched his face change.

“Day after tomorrow,” he sighed more than said, and Link laid a hand on his shoulder as Sidon led him into the salon.

Once again, it was filled with Gerudo, but Link did, at least, spot a few bunnies besides Ghirahim and himself, and at least a handful of Hylians.  In particular, he followed Ghirahim’s eyeline- Ghirahim was scowling at one of the bunnies who was sitting at a groomer’s station, and Link watched as the bunny noticed Ghirahim, gave him a huge fake smile and a wave.  Ghirahim waved back, and spoke under his breath.

“Oh, yes, hello, burn in hell,” he said, and as the bunny climbed from his station began a chant of, “Don’t come over here, don’t come over here, don’t come over here- Oh Vaati, isn’t it nice to see you?”

The new bunny stared up at him, shorter than Ghirahim but taller than Link, and kept that annoying smile on his face.  His hair had been styled like Ghirahim’s had before the groomers, and he had the same light skin and red eyes- but it was more than that, it was the way he carried himself, the motions he went through, the unearned air of confidence that let Link know he was a cuddlebunny.

“Oh, Ghirahim, I see that the rumors of your death have been greatly exaggerated,” he smiled.  “Are they keeping you on a leash now that you’ve proven you can’t be trusted?”

Ghirahim vibrated, and Link put a hand on his shoulder.

“Have you killed your master yet?” Ghirahim asked conversationally, “I hear he’s been using you as a guinea pig.”

“Not yet,” the other bunny, apparently Vaati, turned around to look at an elderly man who seemed to be having difficulty making his way to them.  “I haven’t figured out a way to make it look like a laboratory accident. Not everyone has a jealous ex-lover they can pin it on.”

Link wrapped his arms around Ghirahim and held him, but he had jumped with so much force that the leash jerked, and Sidon went right along with it.  Sidon’s eyes widened, and he realized what was going on instantly, and joined Link in his attempts at restraint.

“Ghirahim, what…” Sidon began, and then decided to address the salon in general, “Who’s bunny is this?  Hello? Excuse me?”

“You pathetic little worm,” Ghirahim snarled at Vaati, who laughed in his face, “I know where you sleep!”

“What seems to be the problem here?” The old man had finally made his way to the commotion.

“I’m so sorry,” Sidon began, “I’m watching this bunny for-”

“Oh, Ghirahim,” the old man said in a voice dripping with kindness, “Just look at you…  We were so worried. We heard that they turned you in for evidence. I thought, ‘Oh, I hope not!  Demise would be crushed! He thought the sun rose and set on that bunny’.” The man reached out to scratch between Ghirahim’s ears, and Ghirahim stopped struggling.

“What a shame,” Vaati said, “It looks as if he’s lost an ear.  Losing your beauty is a fate worse than death, if you ask me. It’s something you have to face every day.”

“Eh,” The old man shrugged, “Time makes fools of us all, Vaati.  No one gets to stay pretty forever. This little guy is a lot more than a pretty face.”

“Thank you, Mr Ezlo,” Ghirahim shook off Link and Sidon, and they allowed him his freedom, Link with much less reluctance than Sidon.

Sidon extended a hand to the man, “My name is Sidon.  I’ve been… contracted by the Dragmires to help poor Ghirahim.”

“Oh,” the man smiled, “You can call me Elzo, my boy, and this is my bunny, Vaati.  Who’s the other one you got there? You’re a trainer? You take multiple clients?”

“Oh, uh…  no, not… not as such.  This is my bunny, Link.” Sidon motioned to Link, who glared at Vaati.

“He looks pathetic,” Vaati said after briefly running his eyes up and down Link’s form.

“Vaati, be nice,” Elzo said chipperly, “He’s a Toy Bunny.  They’re small like that because they’re meant to play with children, not to work with adults.”

“Ghirahim, what in the world are you doing with a toy?” Vaati laughed again.

“Honestly Vaati,” Ghirahim rolled his eyes, “One would think that you would be happy to finally meet someone shorter than you are.”

“Ghirahim,” Vaati asked with his visible eye sparkling, “Have you seen the poor, mourning daughter of your master’s murderer?  She’s absolutely gorgeous! I hate to see such beauty wasted on such an awful affair.”

“I hate to see so many families torn apart,” Elzo seemed to be under the impression he was agreeing with Vaati, though what he had said wasn’t at all similar to what he was agreeing with.

Link thought they were strange.  He didn’t like Vaati, but he liked his master, and he didn’t think it was right that mean bunnies like Vaati got kind masters and Ghirahim’s made him cry.  He was resisting the urge to slap Vaati square in the face with all his might, and he was impressed that Ghirahim had calmed so quickly. Link knew he had to be still burning with anger.  Link shocked himself with the realization that when he had first met Ghirahim, he saw his mood swings as wild and unpredictable, and now, he understood them completely.

Link was beginning to wonder what made a bunny mean, and thought that maybe if he spent enough time with them, he could learn to like anyone, so he stuck out his hand, in an offer of friendship, as if he expected Vaati to take it.

“Don’t waste your time, Little Toy,” Ghirhaim told him.

“Oh, how cute,” Vaati smirked, “It wants to touch me.”

“Vaati, be nice,” Elzo warned, and to Sidon said, “They all have their own little personalities, don’t they?  It’s so cute to watch them interact.”

“It’s adorable,” Sidon lied, thinking of the fight that was about to break out only a few minutes ago.  He suspected that perhaps the old man’s eyesight was so bad that he hadn’t seen it.

“We really should be going,” Elzo prodded, guiding Vaati by placing one hand on his shoulder, “It was so nice to see you again, Ghirahim.  We were all worried.”

“Thank you, Mr Elzo,” Ghirahim smiled.

“Nice to meet you,” Sidon said, and waved as they left.

“What a reprehensible little rat,” Ghirahim sneered.

“Yes, that was the feeling I got as well,” Sidon agreed.

 

Link couldn’t really tell that Ghirahim was wearing make-up, even though he knew he was, because he had watched the artist put it on.  She had spent so much time on it, but Link thought that it hadn’t really done anything- he was completely unimpressed. Ghirahim looked equally let down when she handed him the mirror.

“It’s a little…  subtle, isn’t it?” He asked.

“This is what Mr Dragmire asked for,” the artist responded.

“Honestly, knowing my master, I was hoping for more of a corporate goth thing,” Ghirahim sighed, “I look a bit…”  he paused, flashed his eyes to Link and Sidon, and continued, “Hylian.”

“You don’t like it?” She asked.

“I hate it,” Ghirahim replied, “I think that ‘natural’ makeup in the Hylian style leads people to think that you aren’t wearing make-up at all, and gives in to an unrealistic beauty standard that sets unattainable goals.  Every other race is not a failed attempt at being Hylian!” 

He had gotten more and more angry as he spoke, and snarled at the sound of the phone snapping a picture.

“Goddamn it, Sidon!” he hissed.

“You know he wanted a picture,” Sidon reminded him.  The phone dinged in his hand and he looked at it. “Look at that, he responded with a single word, ‘Perfect’.”

“Grief has driven him to madness!” Ghirahim snatched the phone out of Sidon’s hand with speed that Link had come to expect, but that shocked Sidon into momentarily dropping his presentability facade.

“Ghirahim!” he snapped, but the phone was already ringing, already on speakerphone.

“What, Sidon, I said it was perfect, just contract her to come to the hotel and do it in the morning.  This should not require any more of my input.” Mr Ganondorf sounded tired.

“I won’t wear it!” Ghirahim snapped, “This is appalling!  I look like-”

“A Hylian?” Ganondorf asked, “Because that’s what I was going for.”

“Master, I don’t want,” Ghirahim began, but he was cut off.

“Ghirahim, I swear to god, I cannot figure out why you keep calling me to tell me what you do and do not  _ want _ .  I am not my father or your mother.  Don’t bother me with nonsense. None of us want any of this.  Now suck it up and wear the fucking makeup. It’s like that for a reason.  Hylians don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves- this is what those in the manipulation business call, ‘respectability politics’.  Hylians only respect Hylians, so we do your hair like a Hylian, we do your makeup like a Hylian, we dress you like a Hylian, and maybe they’ll  _ fucking listen to you _ .  That jury is almost completely Hylian.  Do you understand me, or are you so dense that your goddamn vanity is more important than putting this bitch away!?”

“So to gain the respect of a Hylian jury, all I have to change is everything I am?  I had to change my entire personality and now I can’t even have my own face?” Ghirahim snapped.

“Yes!” Ganondorf sounded as if he was close to screaming, “Yes, Ghirahim, the world is a shitty place.  Is this a lesson you’re just now learning? After everything? Now shut the fuck up, suck it up, and just do what I tell you without any more questioning it!  I know what I’m doing. I know you hate the way you look, I hate it too, but those Hylians like it, and that’s who we need on our side. Who all are you embarrassing me in front of, by the way?  You better not be sitting in the middle of that station, because I swear to god, little bunny, I will strangle you myself.”

“...um,” Ghirahim said.

“DON’T PUT EVERYTHING ON SPEAKER PHONE!” Ganondorf bellowed, and the line went dead.

Ghirahim stared at the phone for a few seconds, calmly handed it to Sidon, then turned to the lady with his best fake smile and said, “Thank you so much, my master loves it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that this chapter is pretty self-explanatory and maybe even a bit preachy. Updates might be touch & go for a while, but I am still updating. I'm having a lot of issues in meatspace that just don't leave me time to write. I'm sorry about that. I promise that I also haven't forgotten about my Hyrule Warriors AU, but I suspect most of my readers have. I promise that I do have an ending planned for this fic- the same ending I've had for months, but I haven't really had time to function at all and I've just not been able to sit and write. I don't have a laptop, and I don't come home every day. On the days I am home, I have to shower and sleep, so I don't really touch the computer besides putting some music on in the background for getting ready to go back out. You guys know how life comes in cycles like that. I'm sure it'll slow down eventually.
> 
> If anyone is still here, thank you!


End file.
